Nasal endoscopy

The test takes 1 to 5 minutes. Your health care provider will:

• Spray your nose with a medicine to reduce swelling and numb the area.
• Insert the nasal endoscope into your nose. This is a long flexible or rigid tube with a camera at the end to look inside the nose and sinuses. Pictures may be projected onto a screen.
• Examine the inside of your nose and sinuses.
• Remove polyps, mucus, or other masses from the nose or sinuses.

This test does not hurt.

• You will feel discomfort or pressure as the tube is put into your nose.
• The spray numbs your nose. It can numb your mouth and throat, and you may feel like you cannot swallow. This numbness goes away in 20 to 30 minutes.
• You might sneeze during the test. If you feel a sneeze coming on, let your provider know.
• It is normal to have tearing from the eyes during this test.

You may have a nasal endoscopy to figure out what is causing problems in your nose and sinuses.

During the procedure, your provider may:

• Look at the inside of your nose and sinuses
• Take a sample of tissue for a biopsy
• Do small surgeries to remove polyps, excess mucus, or other masses
• Suction out crusts or other debris to clear your nose and sinuses

Your provider may recommend nasal endoscopy if you are having:

• A lot of sinus infections
• Lots of drainage from your nose
• Face pain or pressure
• Sinus headaches
• A hard time breathing through your nose
• Nose bleeds
• Loss of sense of smell

The inside of the nose and bones look normal.

Nasal endoscopy helps with the diagnosis of:

• Polyps in the nose (nasal polyps)
• Blockages
• Sinusitis
• Swollen and runny nose that will not go away
• Nasal masses or tumors
• A foreign object (like a marble) in the nose or sinus
• Deviated septum (many insurance plans require a nasal endoscopy prior to surgery to correct it)

There is very little risk with a nasal endoscopy for most people.

• If you have a bleeding disorder or take blood-thinning medicine, let your provider know so they are extra careful to decrease bleeding.
• If you have heart disease, there is a small risk that you could feel lightheaded or faint.

Rhinoscopy

Lal D, Stankiewicz JA. Primary sinus surgery. In: Flint PW, Francis HW, Haughey BH, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 44.

Rosen CA, Pletcher SD. Upper airway disorders. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 70.

Updated by: Ashutosh Kacker, MD, FACS, Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Attending Otolaryngologist, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.