Etiology: generally developed from chronic simple rhinitis. The mucosal epithelial cilia are shed and become compound cuboidal epithelium, the submucosa is edematous followed by fibrous tissue hyperplasia and mucosal hypertrophy, which can be mulberry-like or polyp-like after a long time, the periosteum and bone tissue are proliferated and the nasal turbinate bone can be hypertrophic.
Symptoms: a. Heavy nasal congestion, mostly persistent, often open-mouth breathing, and reduced sense of smell.
2. Thick nasal discharge, mostly mucus or mucopurulent. Due to the post-nasal flow, it stimulates the throat and causes cough and phlegm.
When the hypertrophied middle turbinate compresses the nasal septum, it can cause pressure or inflammation of the anterior septal nerve from the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve, resulting in irregular episodes of frontal pain and radiation to the nasal bridge and orbit, called anterior septal neuralgia, also called anterior septal nerve syndrome.