7 Ways a Deviated Septum Can Worsen Your Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

If springtime allergies are your nemesis, they’re about to go into overdrive. Depending on your triggers, every blooming flower, weed, grass, or tree could signal a battle on the horizon.

Fortunately, Dr. Philip T. Ho and the team at Silicon Valley ENT & Sinus Center team in Los Gatos, California, can develop treatment strategies that reduce, and often eliminate, your misery. That may include treatment for a deviated nasal septum.

Since May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month in the US, it’s the perfect time to address how a deviated nasal septum can worsen your seasonal allergy symptoms.

Let’s break it down. Check these 7 ways your nasal anatomy can kick seasonal allergies into overdrive:

1. Blocked nasal passages

A deviated septum means the thin wall between your nostrils is off-center. This can lead to one side of your nose being much narrower, making it harder for air (and allergy relief) to flow through.

Allergens can get trapped more easily, leaving you congested and miserable.

2. Worsened congestion

Allergy season naturally causes your nasal tissues to swell. If your septum is already pushing into one side of your nose, that swelling can completely block the passage, making congestion more intense and long-lasting.

3. More frequent sinus infections

A deviated septum can interfere with proper sinus drainage. Combine that with allergy-related mucus buildup, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for frequent sinus infections — cue the pressure headaches, facial pain, and more inflammation.

4. Postnasal drip overload

When your nose can’t properly drain, all that mucus must go somewhere, and that’s usually down the back of your throat. A deviated septum can amplify postnasal drip, leading to sore throats, coughing, and an extra scratchy allergy season.

5. Less effective nasal sprays

Nasal sprays are a go-to for allergy relief, but if your septum blocks one side of your nose, the spray might not reach where it needs to go. That means reduced effectiveness and lingering symptoms, even if you do everything right.

6. Mouth breathing and poor sleep

Can’t breathe through your nose? Mouth breathing becomes the default, especially at night. This can dry out your throat, disrupt your sleep, and leave you waking up groggy, with even more irritation.

7. Amplified allergy reactions

The combination of blocked airways and poor drainage creates a perfect storm in which allergens stay in your system longer. That means your body keeps reacting, and you keep suffering, long after others without a deviated septum are feeling better.

So, what can you do?

If you suspect you have a deviated septum and allergy season always feels like a personal attack, Dr. Ho can help.

He personalizes your treatment strategy to meet your needs, ranging from decongestants and nasal sprays to minimally invasive, innovative therapies like:

VivAER®

With VivAER, Dr. Ho uses a small wand to deliver radiofrequency energy to remodel and reduce the congested nasal tissues during this therapy.

RhinAER®

RhinAer uses radiofrequency energy to calm the nerves that cause mucus overproduction and shrink inflamed tissues.

ClariFix®

ClariFix uses cryotherapy (freezing) technology to interrupt the signals from your nerves that cause nasal passages to drip and swell.

Septoplasty

You may benefit from septoplasty if you have a significantly deviated septum. Dr. Ho uses this minor outpatient surgical procedure to correct a misaligned septum and dramatically improve airflow.  

Ready for allergy relief?

A deviated septum might not cause allergies, but it can absolutely make them harder to deal with. Knowing the link between your nasal structure and your symptoms is the first step to breathing easier — literally!

Schedule an evaluation with Dr. Ho at Silicon Valley ENT & Sinus Center today. Call the office or request an appointment online.