Nasal Endoscopy

Nasal endoscopy is an examination of the inside of the nose, the sinus openings and the space behind the nose using a thin telescope with a light and camera. It is done in the clinic chair and takes a few minutes. The scope may be rigid, about 3 to 4 mm wide, or flexible, which can also pass down to view the throat and voice box.

It shows far more than looking into the nostrils with a headlight, and it guides decisions about medication, scans and surgery. It views surfaces only. Disease inside closed sinus cavities needs a CT scan.

What Nasal Endoscopy shows

The doctor can see the position of the septum, the size and colour of the turbinates, polyps, pus or mucus draining from particular sinus openings, crusting, bleeding points, adenoid tissue, the Eustachian tube openings and any mass in the nasal cavity or nasopharynx. Swabs of pus can be taken under direct vision for culture, and small biopsies are possible. After sinus surgery it is used to check healing and clean the cavities. Findings are often recorded as photographs or video that you can take away.

When Nasal Endoscopy is recommended

• Blocked nose, facial pressure or discharge lasting more than 12 weeks
• Reduced or lost sense of smell
• Recurrent or one-sided nosebleeds
• One-sided blockage, bloodstained discharge or a neck lump, to exclude a tumour
• Snoring and sleep apnoea assessment, and glue ear in adults (to inspect the nasopharynx)
• Planning before septoplasty, rhinoplasty or sinus surgery, and follow-up afterwards

Limits and situations where another test is better:

• It cannot see inside the sinuses themselves; CT is needed to map disease and anatomy before surgery
• It does not measure airflow; tests such as rhinomanometry do that
• Small children may not tolerate it awake
• Severe bleeding disorders call for extra care with biopsies

How to prepare

• No fasting is needed
• Tell the doctor about blood thinners, bleeding tendency or allergy to local anaesthetics
• Avoid using decongestant sprays on the day unless told otherwise, so the doctor sees your usual state
• Bring any previous sinus CT scans

What happens during the test

You sit upright. A spray of decongestant and local anaesthetic is applied to each nostril and takes a few minutes to work; it tastes bitter and numbs the throat slightly. The scope is passed along the floor of the nose and then higher along the middle passage on each side. You feel pressure, an urge to sneeze, or watering eyes, but it should not be painful. The examination takes 2 to 5 minutes. Avoid hot drinks for half an hour until throat numbness wears off.

Results and next steps

Findings are explained immediately, usually while you watch the screen. Depending on what is seen, you may be given a trial of steroid spray or antibiotics, sent for a sinus CT, allergy tests or smell testing, or listed for surgery. Biopsy and culture results take several days to a week.

• Test time: 2 to 5 minutes
• Results ready: Immediately
• Back to everyday activity: None

Safety and risks

• Brief discomfort, sneezing or watery eyes
• Minor nosebleed, more likely with a very narrow or deviated nose
• Fainting, which is uncommon
• Reaction to the anaesthetic or decongestant spray, which is rare

Arranging Nasal Endoscopy in Türkiye

It is a routine office test that you would not travel for. It forms part of the ENT consultation before nose or sinus surgery in Istanbul, together with a CT scan, and is repeated at the post-operative visits before you fly home.

Send your previous reports and the question you want answered and a Clinic-Y coordinator replies within 24 hours with suitable teams and written, all-inclusive proposals side by side. Reviewing your case is free.

Frequently Asked Questions