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Turbinates are alongside the septum. The turbinates will filter the air, humidify the air, and also create mucus for lubrication. The turbinates can be enlarged and swollen. I call it spongy tissue because your turbinates are like a sponge. When the sponge is dry, it’s very small. When the sponge is wet, it enlarges. So same thing with your turbinates. When turbinates have a lot of blood flow, they increase in size. When they increase in size, they take up space in your nose and you feel congested. So I tell patients, I can fix the septum and make it straight, but the turbinates are alongside the nose and they’re going to vary in size throughout the day. So anything that’s going to increase blood flow to your nose will increase the size of the turbinates.
