RhinAer® Procedure: Benefits & Risks

RhinAer® Procedure

At the Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy Specialist, we use the RhinAer® procedure to treat and provide long-lasting relief from chronic rhinitis — a condition that impacts millions of Americans.

What is Chronic Rhinitis?

Chronic rhinitis is an inflammation and swelling of the lining of the nose. Its symptoms can be pesky, including runny nose, sneezing, nasal itching, post-nasal drip, congestion, and chronic cough.

What Causes Chronic Rhinitis?

While the exact cause is not yet known, abnormal nerve (posterior nasal nerve) signals within your nose are thought to trigger chronic inflammation (aka rhinitis) and excessive mucus production.

It is this posterior nasal nerve that contains the mucus-secreting glands. When this nerve (and its related glands) becomes overactive, it conveys misleading signals to your brain, such as if it’s battling an illness. This, in turn, causes the tissue lining of your nose to become inflamed (stuffiness) and churn out watery mucus (runny nose), leading to the never-ending symptoms of chronic sinusitis.

Traditional Treatments may not Work for All

First-line treatments like antihistamines, nasal sprays, and steroids, may not work for everyone, or work only temporarily, leaving the patients feeling miserable and worn out. In another subset of patients, while these treatments do work, they need to be used regularly, creating a hassle. Hence, some patients may want to cut down on these medications.

In such instances, the RhinAer® procedure can help you find relief from the exasperating rhinitis symptoms.

Who is a Candidate for the RhinAer® Procedure?

We use the RhinAer® procedure in patients with:

• intractable symptoms of chronic rhinitis that fail to respond to optimal first-line treatments
• persistent drainage after allergy immunotherapy shots
• uncontrolled rhinitis after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (surgery for people with chronic sinus problems who fail to respond to medical treatments)
• inability to achieve remission of symptoms after septoplasty (a surgical procedure to straighten the septum or bridge) and/or turbinectomy (removal of the turbinates or bony structures inside your nose)

How is the RhinAer® Procedure Done?

Our group of experts at the Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy Specialist use RhinAer® to address the root cause of chronic rhinitis — i.e., the abnormal nerve (posterior nasal nerve) signals within your nose that trigger chronic inflammation (aka rhinitis) and excessive mucus production. It is the posterior nasal nerve that encloses these mucus-secreting glands, so altering the nerve’s function can lessen mucus production whenever you have a rhinitis flare-up.

With the help of the RhinAer® stylus, we apply temperature-controlled radiofrequency energy to access the lining of your nose and tweak the function of your dysfunctional posterior nasal nerve. This largely curbs the amount of mucus generated in your nose, minimizing the drainage and stuffiness and providing significant relief.

What are the Benefits of the RhinAer® Procedure?

Non-invasive

The RhinAer® technology involves no cutting, but only minimal disruption to target the problematic area that stimulates excess mucus production (i.e., the posterior nasal nerve).

Surgical treatments, on the other hand, often require general anesthesia with extensive cutting yet still carry a risk of relapse.

Simple, In-office Procedure

It is a simple, quick, outpatient procedure.

An Excellent Surgery-free Alternative for Chronic Rhinitis

The RhinAer® procedure provides a surgery-free alternative to help alleviate the wearisome symptoms of chronic rhinitis in patients who wish to avoid surgery and the long recovery period.

Zero Downtime

You can resume your routine activities right away after the procedure. In contrast to surgery, there is no recovery period for the RhinAer® procedure.

Clinically Proven and Effective

The RhinAer® procedure improves symptoms in >90% of patients. It is clinically proven to provide long-lasting relief from the symptoms of chronic rhinitis. This lasting relief means substantially reduced need for tissues and over-the-counter allergy medicines, and thus an overall improved quality of life.

What are the Potential Risks of the RhinAer® Procedure?

Though no serious side effects are noted after the procedure, potential risks may include:

• transient swelling
• crusting and debris on the inside of your nose (saline rinse can help clean out the debris)
• nasal stuffiness for the first few days
• bleeding
• infection

If you’re battling with the annoying symptoms of chronic rhinitis such as a runny nose, don’t let them get the best of you! Get in touch with the Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy Specialist to help you find relief with the RhinAer® procedure.