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When Tori Turbinates came to see Dr. Pasha, her allergy symptoms were making her life miserable. She suffered from nasal discomfort, fatigue, and had difficulty breathing freely. Even though she had received medical treatment in the past, the problem persisted. “It feels like I constantly have a cold”, she explained to Dr. Pasha. He told Tori Turbinates that in order to find the right course of treatment for her, it was necessary to determine what was causing the symptoms.

Dr. Pasha investigated the inside of Tori Turbinates’ nose painlessly with a microscopic nasal endoscope. After this simple procedure, they went through the results together. Dr. Pasha explained to Tori that the turbinates inside her nose had enlarged. Turbinates are fleshy shelves inside the nose, and their function is to moisten, filter, and warm inhaled air before it enters the lungs. There are three turbinates on each side. Sometimes such factors as allergies, a common cold, or other irritants can make the turbinates congested or enlarged, which causes nasal blockage.

The procedure that Dr. Pasha recommended was radiofrequency turbinate reduction.

cartoon graphic of Dr. Raza Pasha greeting a patient

Usually, the enlarged turbinates are treated medically. In Tori Turbinates’ case, the medical allergy management options, such as a nasal steroid, had not provided a long-term solution to the problem because her turbinates had enlarged permanently. Dr. Pasha explained to Tori Turbinates that reducing the size of the turbinates may be the right solution for her. To shrink enlarged turbinates, Dr. Pasha uses an in-office procedure called Radiofrequency Ablative Therapy. It works by making the fleshy portion of the turbinate dry and scar. After a couple of weeks, the turbinate sheds and reveals a smaller turbinate.

Dr. Pasha carefully numbed Tori Turbinates’ nose before conducting the procedure. The procedure took about 15 minutes, and Tori was able to return to her normal activity the same day. When Tori entered into radiofrequency turbinate reduction recovery, Dr. Pasha recommended that Tori keep her nose moist with nasal salt-water spray during the next few weeks, until she was completely healed.

Nowadays, Tori is able to breathe freely again. If you are suffering from allergy symptoms, don’t wait! Schedule an appointment with us to find out the best course of treatment for you.Want to learn more? See a real life story of how Dr. Pasha resolved one of his patient’s turbinate problems.