What is chronic nasal obstruction or stuffiness and how does it affect sleep?
Most chronic nasal congestion or obstruction is caused by enlarged turbinates, which are shelf-like, bony structures inside the nasal cavity. Somnoplasty shrinks the turbinates, which relieves the nasal congestion. Somnoplasty uses low-power, low-temperature radiofrequency energy to gently reduce the tissues in the inferior turbinate. This radiofrequency energy is delivered beneath the surface layer, or mucosa, just enough to create an area of tissue “coagulation.” Over the next three to six weeks after Somnoplasty, the treated tissue (coagulated area) does slough-off and is reabsorbed by the body, thereby shrinking the size of the turbinates and relieving the obstruction and congestion. Chronic enlargement of the turbinates and the related symptom of nasal obstruction affect people throughout the day, as well as during sleep. A chronic stuffy nose can impair normal breathing, force an individual to breathe through the mouth and turn the simple acts of eating, drinking and speaking int
