What to do if nasal congestion and edema

Many people often encounter some inconvenient problems in life, such as nasal congestion and edema. The nose is associated with activities and is composed of a respiratory tract. If there is local congestion and edema, it is mostly due to bacterial infection or some inflammation, which will gradually lead to these symptoms. It is necessary to choose the appropriate inspection and diagnosis method according to each person's physical condition.

Role of the nasal mucosa

The nose is part of the upper respiratory tract, connected to the throat and trachea, and warms, moisturizes and purifies the inhaled air. Among them, the nasal mucosa is connected to rich nerve fibers, has olfactory function, and can effectively induce protective reflexes (such as sneezing). In addition, the nose has a close relationship with the ears and throat, and they work together to perform multiple physiological functions such as smell, hearing, taste, ventilation and pronunciation.

Causes of nasal mucosal swelling

The stability of the internal environment of the nasal mucosa not only depends on neural regulation, but is also regulated by endocrine hormones. The nasal mucosa has a rich vascular bed and various components of mucosal immunity. At the level of the neuroendocrine immune network, changes in the levels of endocrine hormones can affect the nasal mucosa through blood circulation. Clinically, it is common for female rhinitis patients to have significantly aggravated symptoms before menstruation, and the symptoms are alleviated or disappear after menstruation. The nasal mucosa of women during menstruation and pregnancy becomes thickened and proliferates, and the glands dilate.

The above changes may result in immune or non-immune inflammation of the respiratory mucosa, leading to the formation of hyperresponsiveness of the nasal mucosa, thereby causing rhinitis symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy nose, and sneezing. In addition, prostaglandins can inhibit the production of antibodies by B cells and inhibit the phagocytic function of macrophages.

At the same time, prostaglandins, as inflammatory factors, can cause vasodilation and aggravate the degree of inflammatory response during the onset of rhinitis. The number of prostaglandin receptors in the nasal mucosal vascular system of patients with allergic rhinitis also increases accordingly, leading to nasal mucosal vasodilation, nasal congestion, and corresponding nasal congestion and hypersensitivity reactions.

Check Edit

Laboratory tests must be summarized and analyzed based on the objective data obtained from medical history and physical examination, from which several possible diagnoses can be proposed, and then further consideration should be given to which actual laboratory tests should be performed to confirm the diagnosis.

Basic Check:

1. Anterior rhinoscopy.

2. X-ray nasal examination to determine whether there is concurrent sinus infection.

Further inspection:

1. Nasal secretion smear detection of pathogenic bacteria.

2. Bacterial culture + drug sensitivity of nasal secretions.

3. Virus testing, when necessary, requires special culture, separation and identification.