Rhinitis is the inflammation of the nose that causes symptoms of runny nose, nasal congestion, and post-nasal drip. This condition can become chronic in many people and can be hard to treat successfully with typical medication. When traditional intervention fails, our physician's at Dallas ENT Group may recommend a treatment called Clarifix Cryotherapy.
What is ClariFix Cryotherapy?
ClariFix® Cryotherapy is a safe, clinically proven and minimally invasive treatment that targets the source of chronic rhinitis symptoms for lasting relief.
How does ClariFix work?
Chronic Rhinitis occurs because of over-active nasal nerves. These nerves, for often unknown reasons, send more signals than necessary, telling the nose to work overtime in protecting the body from infectious agents. This results in the symptoms of rhinitis. The image below shows the difference between a normal nasal cavity and one that is affected by hyper-active nasal nerves.
ClariFix aims to treat chronic rhinitis by temporarily stopping the overactive nerves from sending signals. This can give your nasal cavities time to heal. It can also lead to the nerves calming down so that they send signals at a normal rate again, which means no more rhinitis symptoms.
What does the ClariFix procedure look like?
Cryotherapy is a minimally-invasive treatment. Your doctor will use the Clarifix device to interrupt the nerve signals in your nasal cavity by temporarily exposing the nerves to cold temperatures.
The ClariFix device is inserted into your nasal cavities, like the image below.
The procedure is done in-office with a local or topical anesthetic. The doctor will place the ClariFix device and an endoscope into the back of your nose. Then, the cold therapy is applied for a few minutes. After that the device and the endoscope are removed.
Does it hurt?
The ClariFix procedure may be a little uncomfortable while the cryotherapy is done, but it should not be painful.
How long is recovery after the procedure?
There is usually minimal downtime and recovery. You may experience temporary increased congestion right after the procedure. If you feel any discomfort after the anesthetic wears off, it will typically resolve the same day. Most patients begin to see improvement of their chronic symptoms between 2 and 6 weeks post treatment.
Is ClariFix safe?
Yes. Because ClariFix is minimally invasive, there are virtually no risks of post-procedure complications other than the temporary discomfort and congestion some people experience on the day of the procedure.
Have questions? Want to schedule a consultation for the ClariFix Cryotherapy procedure? Give us a call today at 972-566-8300!