Rhinoplasty Surgery Can Help Breathing Problems

By Dr. Asif Pirani

Nose jobs, also known as rhinoplasties, have many different purposes that go well beyond the cosmetic reason for one. In fact, one of the most common reasons to get a nose job is to help with breathing problems.

Breathing problems can surface in many different situations and you might not have considered that you can do something about it. A rhinoplasty might be the solution that you didn’t know you need. Dr. Pirani can help ease up your breathing, improving your quality of life.

Breathing Concern

To begin with, let’s go over what the concerns with having restricted breathing are. Over time, restricted breathing can gradually create health problems that can dramatically impact your life. When air enters into your lungs, your body takes in the oxygen, which is then circulated throughout your blood. Oxygen is vital to every part of your body and without it, you will definitely have trouble. Some health issues are:

• Cardiovascular concerns: Poor breathing means that you are not bringing in as much oxygen to your lungs as you should be. The lack of oxygen can lead to heart disease.
• Weight gain: Because your oxygen is not circulating throughout your body as well as it should, you will find yourself feeling more winded and fatigued. Not only will exercise be harder to perform, but your body will be hanging onto all of the excess calories as it struggles to compensate for its lack of blood flow and oxygen.
• Depression: With a lack of oxygen to your brain as well as how poorly your body feels, it should not come as a surprise that restricted breathing can cause depression. Depression will impact every part of your life, including your relationships.

Restricted breathing can be devastating and needs to be taken seriously. Luckily, this is where rhinoplasty comes in.

Functional Rhinoplasty

There are actually two types of traditional rhinoplasties: functional and cosmetic. Most people are more familiar with a cosmetic rhinoplasty which is used to alter the shape of your nose to help with its size and shape. Yet there are also functional rhinoplasties which are used to treat conditions.

In some cases, a cosmetic concern might actually be the reason behind the breathing problem you could be experiencing. While some functional rhinoplasties do not have a cosmetic result, others will have a positive cosmetic outcome once your breathing is corrected.

What Can a Rhinoplasty Treat?

Now that you know about a functional rhinoplasty, let’s take a look at what it can do for you. There are several breathing conditions that can be corrected through plastic surgery. They include:

• Polyps: Nasal polyps are tiny growths that appear throughout the nasal passage. Because you cannot see when you have them, you might not even realize that nasal polyps are the cause of your breathing restrictions. Polyps can occur because of chronic allergies or other irritations. A functional rhinoplasty can remove these growths and free up your breathing. Unfortunately, if you are prone to polyps they could come back eventually, but it does take a long time.
• Deviated Septum: This can either happen naturally, just based on the development of your nose or it can be caused from an outside force, such as an injury. Your septum is the piece of cartilage that separates the two sides of your nose. It deviates when there is a bend in it, restricting airflow on one or both sides. It is natural to have a little curve in it as no one is born perfectly proportioned, but a little curve is not the same as a deviation. By straightening out your nose, your airway will be freer.
• Narrow Middle Vault: Where the septum is the middle of your nose, the vault is the outside of your nose. Sometimes they narrow or collapse inward, blocking air from coming in. This can be a natural condition, but it is more commonly caused by a nasal injury. A Rhinoplasty can reshape the nose, holding the falling areas open.

If you are concerned that you are suffering from restricted airflow, it is time to schedule your consultation with Dr. Pirani. Together, you will be able to identify the cause of your breathing troubles. Find out how Rhinoplasty can change your life.