Nasal breathing transfers roughly 70% of airflow to your lungs. Nasal airway obstruction is essentially blockage of the nose or nasal cavity, and more than 20 million Americans are estimated to suffer from nasal airway obstruction, which limits airflow through the nose with serious consequences in regards to the quality of life.
Either one or both nostrils may be impacted. While most nasal obstructions are temporary--caused by colds, allergies, sinus infections, or medications--others require medical intervention.
After years of working with our trusted McAllen ENT, Dr. Frank R. Glatz, McAllen certified physician assistant Jonathan Lerma and his team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group of Valley ENT have just the remedy you’re looking for if you are suffering from nasal airway obstruction.
Narrowing of the nasal valve can be induced by an enlargement of any of the three main structures. The septum, lateral wall, and turbinates create a triangular area called the Nasal Valve. If any of these tissues expand in size, nasal airway size is minimized, resulting in decreased airflow.
Nasal polyps, foreign objects in the nose, oversized adenoids, and swelling of the nasal lining due to allergies can all cause a nasal obstruction as well. If any of these matches the symptoms you suffer from, an appointment with the Glatz Group can determine what your best options are for relief.
This decreased volume of air can lead to the following:
Treating nasal obstructions is a straightforward process where we carefully examine your nose through a lighted scope, a CT scan, or an MRI to determine what in particular is causing your nasal obstruction. The first step in treating nasal obstructions is getting those symptoms under control. Medications or nasal steroid sprays are generally helpful in reducing inflammation of the nose and turbinates and providing quick, temporary relief.
Nightly breathing strips and nasal dilators never fully fix the problem but are options for ongoing at-home remedies you can try. It is worth noting that home remedies are not a permanent solution.
Balloon Sinuplasty is a minimally invasive sinus procedure available to eligible patients performed in our office.
This treatment has achieved outstanding outcomes for many patients, while requiring little or no anesthesia and minimal recovery time. This treatment is performed in place of more invasive and aggressive surgeries that involve general anesthesia with tedious recovery processes.
This technology utilizes a tiny, flexible, balloon catheter that is positioned into the nose to access the sinuses. The sinus balloon catheter gradually inflates to gently restructure the previously blocked sinus drainage opening, maintaining the integrity of the sinus lining and restoring typical sinus drainage and function.
There’s no cutting or tissue removal, with minimal risk of scarring within the nose. Most patients generally recover within 48 hours.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we will carry on taking all precautionary measures possible to keep our staff and patients safe. While we do in-house procedures with safety at the forefront, we are also able to address your nasal airway obstruction symptoms online via our telemedicine services or over the phone.
Allergies to our little furry friends are common, especially for people who already suffer from allergies or asthma, and it doesn’t help that the pandemic has given those affected no choice but to spend more time stuck at home with those allergens.
But your time cooped up at home doesn’t have to be miserable when there are options for relief. After years working alongside our McAllen ENT, Dr. Frank R. Glatz, McAllen certified physician assistant Jonathan Lerma and his team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group of Valley ENT have the solutions you need when it comes to dealing with pet allergies.
The immune system’s role is to locate foreign substances like viruses and bacteria and eliminate them. People with pet allergies, however, have over-sensitive immune systems, reacting to the pet's urine, saliva, or dander--a.k.a. dead flakes of skin.
Cat and dog allergens are all over the place, as they can gather on furniture as well as other surfaces. In fact, pet allergens can be found in places that have never housed pets because people can carry them on their clothes.
Additionally, pet allergens can get into the air whenever the animal is petted or groomed, and it can be stirred up where the allergens originally settled, either through dusting, vacuuming, or other household chores. Once airborne, the particles can stay in the air or settle on walls for long periods of time.
Cat and dog allergens can land on membranes lining the eyes and nose, causing swelling and itching of the membranes, stuffy nose, and inflamed eyes. A pet scratch or lick can also irritate the skin area, and itchy eyes can occur after petting an animal and touching your eyes as well.
As a matter of fact, contact with a cat may trigger an asthma attack for at least three in ten people with asthma, and it can also result in chronic asthma.
Many airborne particles are microscopic enough to access the lungs. For some, this exposure can lead to breathing issues. Highly sensitive people can start to cough, wheeze, and experience shortness of breath within 15 to 30 minutes of inhaling allergens. Sometimes people also get a severe rash on the face, neck, and upper chest.
Your sinus doctor will diagnose a pet allergy based on your symptoms, your medical history, a physical examination, and/or a blood or skin test. The results of the allergy testing will display if there’s allergic sensitivity to the animal.
The doctor may tell you to stay out of the home where the pet lives to see if your symptoms stop. It doesn’t help to remove the dog or cat because the allergen will stay in your home, so much so, in fact, that pet allergens in the home can trigger symptoms months after the animal is gone.
Keeping your pet outside will help but won’t take out the allergens inside your home. Another alternative is to pick pets without fur or feathers like fish, snakes, or turtles.
While finding a new home for a pet and a thorough house cleaning is the best option to eliminate pet allergies, most animal lovers prefer to keep their little fur babies. Here are few things you can do to lessen exposure:
Since COVID-19 remains a major health crisis, the safety and well-being of our staff and patients will continue to be our top priority. We can address your pet-related allergy symptoms online with our telemedicine services or through a phone call.
If you’re in need of an immediate procedure done in our office, that may also be scheduled upon request.
You may have a friend, family member, or neighbor who has been referred to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor for their sinus issue, a chronic sore throat, or an ear infection. Or perhaps you have been facing these problems and have been recommended one yourself.
If that’s the case, you might be wondering what an ENT is and whether a consultation is worth your while. Suffice to say that seeking treatment from an experienced ENT can definitely help to improve many conditions.
After years of guidance under Dr. Frank R. Glatz, McAllen certified physician assistant Jonathan Lerma and his right-hand team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group of Valley ENT can give you a closer look at what ENTs do and how they can help you breathe better.
ENT is an abbreviation for ear, nose and throat, which has to do with the particular parts of the body treated by these types of doctors. They are commonly referred to as otolaryngologists.
According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, otarlyngolosists are physicians trained within medical and surgical management to treat patients dealing with diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, and throat, as well as issues related to the structures of the head and neck. An ENT doctor’s special set of skills involve diagnosing and managing diseases and conditions in the sinuses, larynx (voice box), oral cavity, and upper pharynx (mouth and throat), along with structures of the neck and face.
On top of addressing various primary care issues in adult and pediatric patients, ENTs also diagnose, treat, and handle disorders specific to their field, including chronic sinusitis.
ENTs are required to be well-trained in order to practice their typical functions. In addition to completing up to 15 years of college, medical school, and specialty training, they also have to pass the American Board of Otolaryngology exam. Many also go after fellowships to gain more extensive training in subspecialty areas such as allergies, rhinology (nose), and laryngology (throat).
Because ENTs cover several areas of medicine, there are numerous reasons to see one. Some of the most common conditions that are treated by otolaryngologists include:
Some of the most typical health problems that cause patients to see an ENT include sinus issues, which may include pain, snoring, sore throat, runny nose, cough, difficulty breathing, asthma, and allergies.
In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 30 million adults in the United States currently live with diagnosed sinusitis. This doesn’t include the countless others that might be suffering in silence. For these people, a visit to an ENT can be just what they need for a more comfortable, symptom-free life.
If you are unsure whether you have a health issue or condition that merits an appointment with an ENT, it is highly recommended that you consult with your primary care physician.
It is also worth noting that even if you saw an ENT in the past, new developments in the field, like cutting-edge balloon sinuplasty, have been providing optimal results for patients.
As the current pandemic poses a serious threat to the health of many, we are doing as much as we can every single day to prioritize the safety and well-being of our patients and staff. We are perfectly capable of addressing your sinus-related symptoms online through our telemedicine services or via a phone conference.
If you are in need of a sinuplasty procedure performed in our office, that may also be arranged upon request.
Hurricane season can be unforgiving, as we most recently experienced here in the Rio Grande Valley with Hurricane Hanna.
The destruction hurricanes leave behind can take years to rebuild. The toll on an individual’s well-being and overall health can be just as serious, especially if they suffer from allergies or asthma.
As if COVID-19 concerns aren’t worrisome enough, allergy season is worse than ever this year, and hurricane season isn’t going to make it any better. If anything, it can worsen those symptoms.
Today, your certified McAllen physician assistant, Jonathan Lerma, and his dependable team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group of Valley ENT will help provide you with a better understanding of how hurricane season can worsen your allergies or asthma.
Weather patterns affect environmental allergies.
Hurricanes can make allergy and asthma symptoms worse due to the fact that pollen and mold spores spread into the air after intense weather conditions. The high winds spread those wet mold spores into the air and a lack of air circulation because of lost power allows more allergens to enter your home.
Following a severe storm, debris from trees and plants also become covered with mold and other triggers that can intensify allergic and asthmatic symptoms. Allergic reactions to mold include nasal congestion, coughing, and sneezing. Asthmatics can experience wheezing, tightness in the chest, coughing, and difficulty breathing.
Allergy season generally peaks once the leaves start to fall in October and November, but the damage caused by hurricanes results in many trees on the ground and a multitude of mold from standing water.
The cleanup process should begin as soon as you're possibly able to. This can’t take place without proper preparation for those with pre-existing conditions, such as asthma, and those with weak immune systems.
When the floodwater recedes and cleanup starts, respiratory ailments rise as a result of mold.
You should always take precautions when cleaning up after a hurricane since it comes with several risks. Mold can begin to grow shortly after flooding and can quickly take over a home.
Try taking the following precautions when you being the cleaning process:
We hope that the advice we shared can help to prepare you for what may come with hurricane season and your allergies.
Since COVID-19 is an unresolved health crisis, we continue to look after the safety and well-being of our beloved staff and patients. If you would like to have your symptoms addressed without coming to the office, it can be conducted online with our telemedicine services.
Appointments are also a phone call away.
If you are in need of an in-office procedure, we can set that up accordingly.
