Chronic nasal blockage

When examining the nose for chronic blockage, check the septum position, and evaluate the state of the turbinates both before and after spraying with decongestant. Then exclude any tumour in the nose before introducing medical therapy or seeking a surgical opinion. Patients often don't appreciate how blocked they are, so don't assume that if they are not complaining that they wouldn't be very grateful once an improvement in their nasal airway is achieved.