Nose Lab

Nose Lab at Sydney ENT Clinic utilises the most up-to-date technology and equipment for allergy and airway testing for causes of a blocked nose.

We currently offer the following services through the Nose Lab Clinic:

  • Nasal airway assessment- tests objective airway function and includes acoustic rhinometry (airway size) and rhinomanometry (pressure and resistance testing) all to assist in identifying causes of a blocked nose when an obvious eitology is not evident
  • Lung and lower airway spirometry
  • Skin prick testing- extended inhalant allergen screening
  • Comprehensive olfactory(smell) testing with threshold, detection and discrimination analysis
  • Taste or gustatory testing
  • Lysine-aspirin challenge- direct intranasal challenge to confirm aspirin-sensitive airways disease/aspirin hypersensitivity
  • Direct nasal antigen challenge- for identification of hypersensitivity to a suspected allergen, unable to be confirmed by skin prick test or RAST

Blocked nose or congested nose?

These concepts are very close but they are different. Many patients may have patent airflow, sometimes within the normal range, but still feel a sense of congestion. The sense of congestion is often associated with active inflammation or rhinitis still occurring in the mucosa.

noselab-sydney-blocked-nose-rhinomanometry-airway-testing

Airway pressure and resistance testing in the assessment of a blocked nose.

Regardless of the amount of ‘space’ that is created by surgery, this will not help this situation. Differentiating between these two states of a nasal obstruction is part of the NoseLab’s service. This dramatically assist patients who need to focus more on allergy and anti-inflammatory therapy rather than surgery as a pathway for relief of their nasal obstruction.

Olfactory testing is a major aspect of our work with Professor Richard Harvey.

olfactory-smell-testing-sydney

We currently use the complete identification, discrimination and threshold testing system for olfactory or smell disorders.

In addition, we offer sublingual immunotherapy for desensitisation to a wide range of allergens. Immunotherapy solutions are tailored to individual patients and compounded overseas to order. You can read more about desensitisation therapy from ASCIA (Australian Society of Clinical Immunologists and Allergists, in which Prof Harvey is a member). For more information, please contact Sydney ENT Clinic.

immunotherapy allergy testing

Sublingual immunotherapy as a technique to ‘switch off’ allergy long-term

To make an appointment for testing at the Nose Lab, please ask your GP or other medical practitioner for a referral to us. An online version of Nose Lab referral form can be found here: NOSE LAB

Click to Call for an appointment

If you have a referral already and require more information, including approximate appointment duration and pre-test medication avoidance, and how to find us, please click here.