Nasal obstruction Health Dictionary

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Nasal Obstruction: From 1 Different Sources

Blockage of the nasal passage on 1 or both sides of the nose.

The most common cause of nasal obstruction is inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the passage (see nasal congestion).

Other causes include deviation of the nasal septum, nasal polyps, a haematoma (a collection of clotted blood) usually caused by injury, and, rarely, a cancerous tumour.

In children, enlargement of the adenoids is the most common cause of nasal obstruction.

Health Source: BMA Medical Dictionary
Author: The British Medical Association

Nasal Congestion

The nose and nasal sinuses (see SINUS) produce up to a litre of MUCUS in 24 hours, most of which enters the stomach via the NASOPHARYNX. Changes in the nasal lining mucosa occur in response to changes in humidity and atmospheric temperature; these may cause severe congestion, as might an allergic reaction or nasal polyp.

Treatment Topical nasal decongestants include sodium chloride drops and corticosteroid nasal drops (for polyps). For commoncold-induced congestion, vapour inhalants, decongestant sprays and nasal drops, including EPHEDRINE drops, are helpful. Overuse of decongestants, however, can produce a rebound congestion, requiring more treatment and further congestion, a tiresome vicious circle. Allergic RHINITIS (in?ammation of the nasal mucosa) usually responds to ipratropium bromide spray.

Systemic nasal decongestants given by mouth are not always as e?ective as topical administrations but they do not cause rebound congestion. Pseudoephedrine hydrochoride is available over the counter, and most common-cold medicines contain anticongestant substances.... nasal congestion

Intestinal Obstruction

Any block-age or hindrance arresting the flow of contents of the intestines. May be mechanical (adhesions, hernias, tumours, etc) or paralytic.

Symptoms: distension, dehydration, atony, vomiting, constipation.

Alternatives. Wild Yam. Calamus. Papaya.

Condition may have to be resolved by surgery. Simple obstruction: large doses (4-8 teaspoons) Isphaghula seeds. Lime flower tea. See: COLITIS. ... intestinal obstruction

Airway Obstruction

Narrowing or blockage of the respiratory passages. The obstruction may be due to a foreign body, such as a piece of food, that becomes lodged in part of the upper airway and may result in choking. Certain disorders, such as diphtheria and lung cancer, can cause obstruction. Additionally, spasm of the muscular walls of the airway, as occurs in bronchospasm (a feature of asthma), results in breathing difficulty.... airway obstruction

Obstruction Of The Bowels

See under INTESTINE, DISEASES OF.... obstruction of the bowels

Nasal Decongestant

Lobelia, Poke root, Ephedra. ... nasal decongestant

Deviated Nasal Septum

See nasal septum.... deviated nasal septum

Intestine, Obstruction Of

A partial or complete blockage of the small or large intestine. Causes include a strangulated hernia; stenosis (narrowing) of the intestine, often due to cancer in the intestine; intestinal atresia; adhesions; volvulus; and intussusception. Intestinal obstruction also occurs in diseases that affect the intestinal wall, such as Crohn’s disease. In less common cases, internal blockage of the intestinal canal is caused by impacted food, faecal impaction, gallstones, or an object that has been accidentally swallowed.

A blockage in the small intestine usually causes intermittent cramp-like pain in the centre of the abdomen with increasingly frequent bouts of vomiting and failure to pass wind or faeces. An obstruction in the large intestine causes pain, distension of the abdomen, and failure to pass wind or faeces.

Treatments involve emptying the stomach via a nasogastric tube and replacing lost fluids through an intravenous drip In some cases, this will be sufficient to correct the problem. However, in many cases, surgery to deal with the cause of the blockage is necessary.... intestine, obstruction of

Nasal Discharge

The emission of fluid from the nose. Nasal discharge is commonly caused by inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the nose and is often accompanied by nasal congestion. A discharge of mucus may indicate allergic rhinitis, a cold, or an infection that has spread from the sinuses (see sinusitis). A persistent runny discharge may be an early indication of a tumour (see nasopharynx, cancer of).

Bleeding from the nose (see nosebleed) is usually caused by injury or a foreign body in the nose.

A discharge of cerebrospinal fluid from the nose may follow a fracture at the base of the skull.... nasal discharge

Nasal Polyp

A growth in the lining of the nose, usually attached by a small stalk.

Most nasal polyps are noncancerous, but they may need to be removed if they cause nasal obstruction.... nasal polyp

Nasal Bone

either of a pair of narrow oblong bones that together form the bridge and root of the nose. See skull.... nasal bone

Nasal Bridle

a fixation device to prevent patients pulling out *nasogastric (NG) tubes. Two tiny catheter-mounted magnets are inserted either side of the nasal septum to meet in the nasopharyngeal space. This leaves tapes exiting from each nostril. A clip then secures the tapes and NG tube together.... nasal bridle

Nasal Cavity

the space inside the nose that lies between the floor of the cranium and the roof of the mouth. It is divided into two halves by a septum: each half communicates with the outside via the nostrils and with the nasopharynx through the posterior nares.... nasal cavity

Nasal Concha

(turbinate bone) any of three thin scroll-like bones that form the sides of the *nasal cavity. The superior and middle nasal conchae are part of the *ethmoid bone; the inferior nasal conchae are a separate pair of bones of the face. See skull.... nasal concha

Nasal Flu Vaccine

(in Britain), a vaccine currently offered to all 2- and 3-year-olds in the form of a spray into each nostril. It contains live forms of the influenza virus that have been attenuated (weakened). The vaccine stimulates the immune system but does not cause disease in healthy people.... nasal flu vaccine

Nasal Septum

The dividing partition inside the nose. The nasal septum consists of cartilage at the front and bone at the rear, both of which are covered by mucous membrane.

Disorders include a deviated septum (twisting of the septum to one side), which may be present from birth or caused by injury. Surgery may be needed if breathing is obstructed.

Injury may also cause a haematoma (a collection of clotted blood) to form between the cartilage of the septum and the wall of one nasal cavity. A haematoma may obstruct breathing and may become infected, causing an abscess that could require surgical drainage.

Rarely, a hole may be eroded in the nasal septum by tuberculosis, syphilis, Wegener’s granulomatosis, or as a result of sniffing cocaine.... nasal septum

Pseudo-obstruction

(Ogilvie’s syndrome) n. functional impairment of intestinal peristalsis without evidence of an obstructing lesion (acute colonic pseudo-obstruction). It presents with vomiting, marked abdominal distension, and constipation. It commonly occurs in hospitalized patients with serious illness, probably caused by abnormalities in colonic autonomic regulation and often associated with trauma, sepsis, the postoperative state following abdominal, pelvic, or orthopaedic surgery, or cardiac dysfunction (heart failure, myocardial infarction). Management is usually conservative and involves treatment of the underlying condition, the ‘drip and suck’ approach (see ileus), decompression of the colon, and prokinetic agents (such as neostigmine). Surgery is required when the conservative approach fails or in cases of perforation.... pseudo-obstruction

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