Posted by sleepsurgeon on February 26, 2009 at 21:20:05:In Reply to: Re: unable still to breathe thru nose posted by Sandman on February 26, 2009 at 11:18:00:
There are many causes of nasal blockage. Beyond the septum, turbinates and polyps, allergy can be a major cause. Certain type of rhinoplasty can also cause nasal obstruction, when too much cartilage is removed, which contributes to nasal valve collapse. One important factor is not often discussed and that is some people's noses are just smaller and the nasal passages are narrower. A narrow nose is often found in people with narrow maxilla. In another word, the maxilla is actually the base of the nose and a narrowed maxilla leads to a narrowed nose and no nasal surgery can help this problem. The treatment is actually addressing the maxilla, most of the time by widening it. Orthodontic treatment is then needed to strighten the teeth after the maxilla is widened. Because your were born premature, I suspect that your maxilla is most likely narrowed, which is commonly found.