Urgent Care Treatment Options For Blocked Sinuses

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If you have blocked sinuses, you may be unable to breathe through your nose, which can lead to mouth breathing and a sore throat. Infections can cause blocked sinuses, and before your healthcare provider can develop a treatment plan, they need to make a proper diagnosis. If your sinuses are blocked, visit an urgent care center for evaluation and treatment. During your visit, you can expect the following interventions. 

Nasal Cavity Assessment

Once you get into the exam room at the urgent care clinic, your vital signs such as blood pressure and pulse will be assessed. You will be asked questions about your symptoms such as how long have they been present and if you are in any pain. During your examination, the urgent care center healthcare provider will look inside your nose with an otoscope, which is an instrument that is also used to check the inside of the ears.

The healthcare provider will assess the inside of your nose for inflammation, discharge, bleeding, nasal polyps, and foreign bodies. They may also examine the inside of your nasal cavity for redness and soft tissue injuries. In addition to these, your otoscopic nasal examination may include a septum assessment. If you have a deviated septum, you may experience blocked sinuses, which may prevent you from breathing out of your nose. 

Treatment Interventions

Blocked sinuses with nasal congestion that are caused by bacterial infections respond to antibiotics, and because of this, if you have a bacterial sinus infection, the urgent care doctor will prescribe them.

If your examination reveals the presence of a foreign body inside your nose that is blocking your sinuses, it will be removed with forceps. If you have nasal polyps, which are benign nasal growths often caused by excessive aspirin consumption, chronic sinus infections, or allergies, the urgent care physician may refer you back to your primary care doctor for further treatment.

In the meantime, the clinic physician may prescribe an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid nasal spray for temporary relief to open up your sinuses cavity and allow you to breathe better. Finally, if your blocked sinuses are caused by allergies, the healthcare provider at the clinic may recommend an over-the-counter antihistamine or an oral decongestant to relieve your symptoms.

If you have blocked sinuses, visit an urgent care center. After the provider determines the source of your symptoms, they will recommend the best treatment options to suit your individual situation.


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