Why the Doctor Looks in Your Nose

Have you ever wondered why your physician will look inside your nose during an examination? When a patient has a runny nose or congestion, the physician needs a good look at the source of the problem.

Doctors usually don't look inside your nose unless they have a specific reason. Usually, they are looking for an infection or allergy. Sometimes, they're looking for other sources of your breathing problem, such as a deviated septum, the term doctors use to describe a misalignment of the cartilage that runs down the center of your nose.

The physician will use a lighted scope, called an otoscope, to get a clear view. He or she hold this scope at the tip of your nose and shine the light inside. It doesn't take long, maybe 30 seconds or so, to get a good look inside your nose. If there isn't too much congestion, the doctor can see the opening of the sinuses, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches inside.

One of the first things he or she will notice is color. The color of your nasal membranes should be pink, the same color as healthy gums.

If your nasal membranes are bluish or pale and appear swollen, the doctor may suspect you have allergic rhinitis, an inflammation caused by a nasal allergy. If this is the case, you might have a clear-to-white nasal discharge, and he or she might prescribe antihistamines or a nasal steroid to reduce the swelling.

If your nasal membranes are more red than pale and the discharge is thick and yellow, the doctor will suspect an infection. If your infection involves the nose, throat and ears and you have no fever or only a slight one, the doctor will suspect a cold virus. Viruses often move around in the body. Many patients will ask for an antibiotic when they have a cold, and many doctors will explain that antibiotics may work against bacteria but are powerless against a virus. For a viral infection in the nose, doctors can prescribe decongestants to treat the symptoms.

If you have a fever, with tenderness around the bridge of your nose and at the top of your cheeks, the doctor will suspect a bacterial infection that has invaded your sinuses. Usually, he or she can see dark yellow, thicker mucus draining from the sinus opening when bacteria are causing your illness. If the doctor suspects a bacterial infection, he or she can prescribe an antibiotic.

Not all nasal problems are caused by allergy and infection. You can be born with a deviated septum or develop one from a broken nose. In both cases, nasal breathing can be difficult. Sometimes surgery is necessary.

When a doctor looks inside your nose, he or she may notice a nasal polyp, a growth on the mucous membrane. Sometimes, these must be removed. Incidentally, most individuals with polyps also have asthma.