To Jubreau... I don't think there's any way you should still be having that difficulty...  My upper lip and the roof of my mouth were numb for the first couple of weeks...and now all back to normal... I think something is wrong

Hi there.

I was hit in the face and my nose was broken about 20 years ago when I was 13. Over the last few years I have had really bad pains behind my left eye and around the left half of my head. I recently figured that it was some kind of chronic sinus headache. I also noticed that I seemed to have more noticeably more trouble breathing through my left nostril. Sometimes, when I am out running, towards the end of the run my left nostril literally closes up inside and allows virtually no air in.

I find that when I wake up in the mornings my left nostril is routinely blocked and the left side of my head is groggy. It hinders my concentration, and I spend half my time struggling to take air in through my left nostril. Other times my left nostril suddenly clears up and I feel an amazing sensation of openness and lots of air. It never lasts though; it's intermittent.

The right nostril is usually ok. I find that my breathing, my lungs and my heart feel weaker than they ought to; and feel that it may be down to the lack of air going in through the left nostril. I have actually tried running with tissue stuffed up my right nostril to force air through my left nostril.

I went to see a doctor who diagnosed a deviated septum. I had a CT scan and apparently the sinuses look ok; I don't have polyps or anything; though it's possible there may be a condition invisible to the scan eg vacuum headaches, and that would be attributable to the blocked nostril.

He has suggested septoplasty. He says that perhaps because of the deviated septum my turbinates (I think he said turbinates - anyway, the things that protrude into your nostril passage) are quite a lot bigger than normal. He was talking about a septoplasty and reducing the size of the turbinates.

I don't want my turbinates touched. I have read some horror stories about trimmed turbinates and Empty Nose Syndrome. But if my turbinates are left as they are, will the correction of my deviated septum still be worthwhile? Will I still get the benefit?

Apparently there won't be any splints, gauze or packing. He says he uses some new gel thing. Maybe that would be less painful. To be honest, I am not worried about the pain so much as I am concerned about any ongoing problems associated with septoplasty. How much chance is there that I will have to spend the rest of my life regularly applying creams, solutions, oils etc? I don't at the moment, and would be distraught if I end up voluntarily creating a (different) chronic condition. I don't want to wake up in three years time and suddenly feel something flapping about freely inside.

I am not keen on having a septoplasty done because I worry about negative consequences I could have to live with. He assures me it is all routine, low risk and high success rate. I trust doctors slightly less than I trust bankers. But this constant dfficulty breathing through my left nostril is obstructing my quality of life to a significant extent. The sinusy headaches have been alleviating over the last months as I take more exercise, but the blockage is still there.

What shall I do? To septoplast or not to septoplast, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the nose to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous deviation, or to operate, perchance to have side-effects.  Help!!

Hi Richard - I had a septoplasty with resection of the turbinates earlier this year with great results.  I have no creams, lotions or lifelong followup issues.  Turbinate resection is very often (perhaps even usually) done with a setoplasty.  My doctor also said that my turbinates were larger because of the deviated septum (my left nostril was effectively closed).  It sounds like you are having some significant health "inconveniences" and negative consequences if you dont do the surgery. They are not likely to improve on their own.  There can't be any guarantees that nothing will go wrong but if you pick your ENT carefully then you reduce the chance dramatically.  Consider getting a second opinion from the best ENT you can find to calm your concerns, then do what he/she recommends (I sought out the head ENT at a teaching hospital who did same surgery for my Internist).  

Best of luck,

Joy

Well, here's the thing.  I had the septoplasty done the first time, about 12 to 15 years ago...they packed the nose..took the packing out..the septum collapsed and closed one side... I said.."You're not getting a second chance."  Put up with it for these years... Now I've had the second surgery..about 6 weeks ago; septoplasty and turbinate reduction... and they used "splints" this time, which was a lot like having a couple of trout up my nose... but now... wow.  It is wonderful.  I can breathe.. I can smell things... food tastes better... It has been the miracle surgery for me.  

Still "recovering" a bit I suppose...in the sense that occasionally still have some shooting pains, not too serious...and I am still "sinus rinsing" several times a day... but it's altogether one of the best choices I have ever made...

Hey guys,

after doing a google search of "deviated septum" I came across this very helpful thread.  After reading about 10 pages of posts I felt compelled to reply.  The rundown is I'm currently a college student who participates at the JV level for soccer.  I was probably one of the top players of my age group in my area when I was in 7th-8th grade, but in a stupid fight I was punched in the nose.  I heard a little snap and my nose proceeded to bleed, but there was no bruising and the next day everything looked normal so I never had a doctor check it out.  From about high school on I had problems breathing and my athletic conditioning was never up to par with my teammates no matter how hard I worked.  I figured it was just really bad genetics (even though I didn't drink or smoke and several teammates did).  I have recently discovered that my poor nasal breathing, post nasal drip (resulting in tonsil stones), and sinus headaches, have been caused by a deviated septum.  I've always noticed that my nose has been slightly bent to the right (it's not very noticeable at all but if you look at side profiles of each side of my face you'll definitely notice they are not even remotely symmetrical).  I feel that I had a lot of potential to exceed as an athlete and now that I realize I've had a deviated septum for the past 6-7 years of my life, I wonder "what if..." and all the possibilities I could've had.  
My main concern now, directed to mostly the athletes on here (if any), is how much a steptoplasty would increase my athletic performance (as in running and conditioning).  Obviously, being able to breathe easier helps in running, but just how much does it help?  It would be greatly appreciated if anyone can respond to the benefits for an athlete of getting this surgery done.  I'm really hoping to get my soccer career back in track (for whatever short window I have left in my college career).

Best regards,
sp

Hi All,
Had to change my name to LittleMoreAwakeG3 due to password issues.  Glad to see the thread is alive and well and people are finding it useful.  Anyway...

Richard, go for the turbinate reduction.  Just tell your doc to take a conservative amount if he must.  I went through the same concerns as you did when I got mine done.  You just have to put your faith in the doctor sometimes.  For me, I feared more not getting the results I wanted and having to come back in for a tune up.   Everything turned out fine.  Actually the surgery experience was quite enjoyable... they knocked me out and put me in la la land for the duration.  When I came out of it, I wanted to do it again.

Soccerplayer,
Yes, I believe your atheletic ability will increase when you breath better.. for two reasons 1) more oxygen to your blood.  Presently, you're running like a car on a too rich mixture of gas vs air.  and 2) breathing better while you sleep will give you more restful sleep whether you're on CPAP or not (all else equal).  

Good luck to both of you!

Thanks for your replies guys. Any more thoughts, I will be very glad to read them. I have a little time to make up my mind as my doctor has advised me to wait until after Christmas and the New Year.

If I have nothing done, will the situation end up deteriorating, on the basis of continued turbinate growth due to the septum deviation? My one hope is that continued exercise/ weight loss/ lung empowerment will help shrink the turbinates and alleviate the situation naturally.

I was encouraged to read of the success of the turbinate reduction. I don't want to worry you but I read (either on this thread or elsewhere) that complications can follow turbinate reduction years down the line. I don't know if this was a comment on the effect of severe reduction causing ENS. When did you have the turbinate resection?

I can't remember if I asked this in my earlier post - is somnoplasty a potentially preferable way to reduce the turbinates, as opposed to surgical resection? Anyone looked into this/ had this done?

It would be fantastic to be able to sleep well for the first time in years..

First off, hello Everyone!

  This is a great site. I am really happy to have found it. Reading most accounts here have set my mind at ease over the nervousness of finally going through with this. I am getting my septum fixed, My right sinus reopened and having a polyp removed from my left nostril at 7 am tomorrow morning. Basically I have suffered from sinus infection the better part of the last 15 years and it got really bad this past year on top of always feeling tired, extreme dizziness, feeling nauseaous all the time due to the constant draining. I finally went to an ENT and he gave me the heads up.

 so I  have a few questions.....

1. IRRIGATION. I have a neilmed brand sinus rinse bottle. is this good enough to irrigate with? and how much solution should I use, how often and how HARD should I squeeze the liquid in? I am assuming I should not jam it up my nose and squeeze as hard as I can.

2. How long should I sleep in a 'sitting up' position afterwards? My Dr told me I should do this but didn't specify a time frame. 3 days? 3 weeks?

Thanks again in advance for all your advice. I will post my results asap.

For David -

Hope your surgery goes very well today - I know it will be a relief to have it behind you!! Your doctor very likely gave you more detailed instructions upon leaving the surgical center.  My doctor strongly recommended NeilMeds and had it in his office to sell patients at cost.  He said to follow package instructions and I did.  I practiced a few times before surgery to get the hang of it.  You just set the nozzle at the entrance to your nostril - no jamming.  A reasonable squeeze on the bottle will get the water flowing.  No strong pressure needed.  It may take a few tries to get the solution to cross the bridge from one nostril to another.  I found the flow moved best if I directed the nozzle toward the outer part of the nostril while bending over the sink.  However, it may be different for us all so just be confident that you will figure it out and don't be concerned if it does not work perfectly the first time.  As for sleeping sitting up - I tried that the first night and finally got into bed and slept leaning against my backrest.  I don't know if you are on CPAP but I was and was able to use it the night after surgery with my doctor's knowledge (I used a larger then normal ultra mirage mask).

Wishing you well -

Joy

Also for David... I bought the NeilMed sinus rinse just before the surgery and used it just as described above..starting after the surgery... it was a great relief and a lot of "blood and guts" left the nasal passages..a good thing.  I have sleep apnea and always sleep pretty much sitting up(I have an electric hospital bed)... It's just a whole lot easier for me.  And... I was able to use my cpap after about maybe 5 nights.. before that I was basically breathing through my mouth and probably only sleeping a few hours each night...  My nasal "splints" had breathing tubes (a little larger than a straw) and after those first five nights I was able to use the cpap and sleep... maybe about 5 or 6 hours a night...  Now that it is all over.. I think I'm about 8 weeks post op... I still have sleep apnea but it is soooo much easier now.  And I breathe very well through my nose all day.   BTW I still use the sinus rinse thing several times a day... I like the way it opens up the nasal passages and the sinuses... Good luck with your surgery..  For me... it was wonderful

Hello everyone and thank you Joy and David.

 SO I had my surgery this morning and the worse part is absoluetly my throat. It is killing me and I can feel it in my ears but I'm hoping this will start to dissipate in a day or two. Basically feels like a have a bad cold at this point. otherwise just a bit groggy and my head hurts but overall the surgery seems to have gone well.

  I went out like a light as soon as they put the iv in me, surgery promptly started at 7 am , was done by 8 am and I was home a little after noon. the most annoying part besides the drainage has been changing the guaze pad under my nose. I 'm terrible at it and use more tape than I probably should.

 I will write more when im more alert but I had one more question. How long does the bleeding fom the nose continue normally and is there a time when I should start worrying if it DOES keep continuing? ?I understand that it is a healing process but will there be a time when an hour after irrigating I wont have to worry about slightly leaning over and having blood spill out? I guess in laymans terms when does everyone think I can stop with the guaze pad under my nose?

 Thanks again in advance. This is a wonderful board and I have already reccomended it to a few of my friends who have been told they should get the surgery done but are afraid to as I was. I am aso sorry if this is slightly incoherent.

cheers

David

davidxiphoid wrote:

Hello everyone and thank you Joy and David.

 SO I had my surgery this morning and the worse part is absoluetly my throat. It is killing me and I can feel it in my ears but I'm hoping this will start to dissipate in a day or two. Basically feels like a have a bad cold at this point. otherwise just a bit groggy and my head hurts but overall the surgery seems to have gone well.

  I went out like a light as soon as they put the iv in me, surgery promptly started at 7 am , was done by 8 am and I was home a little after noon. the most annoying part besides the drainage has been changing the guaze pad under my nose. I 'm terrible at it and use more tape than I probably should.

 I will write more when im more alert but I had one more question. How long does the bleeding fom the nose continue normally and is there a time when I should start worrying if it DOES keep continuing? ?I understand that it is a healing process but will there be a time when an hour after irrigating I wont have to worry about slightly leaning over and having blood spill out? I guess in laymans terms when does everyone think I can stop with the guaze pad under my nose?

 Thanks again in advance. This is a wonderful board and I have already reccomended it to a few of my friends who have been told they should get the surgery done but are afraid to as I was. I am aso sorry if this is slightly incoherent.

cheers

David

David:  You did it!!!  Way to go. Your message was quite lucid.  I am very interested in your experience because you just had the surgery.  Please anyone else, do chime in.  I am scheduled to have the surgery on January 7.  I am very nervous and cancelled it a few months ago.  The only problem I have is constant stuffy feeling on the left side.  Consequently, I sniff all the time.  The air flow on the left side is restricted.  I am freaked out about the pain upon awakening.  I am berserk about  being able to breathe only from my mouth    for 24 hours, according to my doctor, because my nose will be packed with cotton.  The cotton will come out the next day.  I looked on YouTube and saw a young man who had about a foot or so of cotton pulled out of his nose.  Is that typical.  Also, other sites I've read say that getting the split out is very painful.  Important question:  my doc has not ordered a CT scan.  Is that typical.  I didn't even know that was a possibility until I visited a doctor for a second opinion and he said he wanted to see the scan first, so he wouldn't get any surprises.  He also said he wanted to keep me in the hospital overnight.  The first ENT offered neither.  She came highly recommended and is a Top Doc in our area as voted by other docs.  You've probably seen those.  Well, I babble on.  I look forward to hearing more.

Well it's been 6 days and what A WEIRD 6 DAYS IT HAS BEEN. Overall I still feel like a have a REALLY bad head cold. very stuffy and my head just feels like its been stuffed up  with a block of cheese. I'm also feeling very unbalanaced. Is this normal? kinda dizzy, especially when I try to sleep. I'm assuming it is normal. I have a follow up on Monday where Hopefully my splints will come out and I will have some questions answered.

 the hardest thing was trying to sleep the first 3 days. I basically couldn't. With the exception of a few hrs here and there I didn't get any at all until probably Thursday. This kinda drove me a little crazy and in turn I think I actually caught a cold on top trying to recover because of this. If your one of those people who can sleep in a car, in a chair, on a plane, then you probably won't have this problem but I have never been one of those people. I just could not get comfortable to save my life and in turn didn't sleep per the 'you must sleep upright the first 4 or 5 days' rule that my doctor gave me.

 so the 4th night I went to sleep as normal. not upright and on my side. I hope this hasn't hurt my chances of a speedy recovery, but the doc said it should be ok so I did just that.  Like I said the only weird thing is that now I feel completely unbalanced and tired. hopefully that will be answered on Monday.

 Other observations. my nosebleeds stopped wednesday morning, that was a good feeling. I have been irrigating about 5 or 6 times a day, never getting everything completely out. It feels like there are pencils shoved up both nostrils which are dried blood clots I'm sure. that should be fun to get out eventually. I can smell but not that great just yet, only when something is right up to my nose. I stopped taking the T3 with demarol on Thursday and switched to just straight tylenol. Still taking the antibiotics obviously with another 13 days worth to go.


 Diet mainly consists of Soup (chicken noodle, rice and beef vegetable) and Gatorade/water/ginger ale. I'm really getting tired of all of the above. I have lost 8 pounds thus far due to the 'septum surgery diet' so thats a plus.. lol.  other than that just taking it slow. haven;t done much of anything but lay around and watch blu rays. Tried to play some video games but the motion sickness got to me.

GRIFIIN..

 I will be happy to answer any questions you have. I really didnt feel much pain after waking. Honestly the worst thing was the sore throat I had from the breathing tube and the spot where they stuck the IV is still sore, But other than that just feels like a bad cold. I can only tell you from my experience, I had a younger Dr, really nice guy and also considered one of the top 5 in his field in the DC area. He demanded a CT scan even after my first one and used no packing whatsoever.  I brought this up to him and he had said a lot of older DR's use the packing still but sees no reason why as the splints are much easier to use and a lot easier and less painful to remove for the patient. maybe the packing is used for more extreme cases? I don't know..I'll let you know about the splints and pain or lack thereof as soon as I get mine out.

 Breathing from the mouth was no big deal. Just keep a lot of liquid and some chap stick nearby. I had water or gatorade at the side the first threee days and breathed fairly well from just my mouth. it just got really dry. Hope this helps.

well I had the surgery about five days ago.  It was mostly okay, but I managed to accidently pull out one of my stiches! Anyone know if this is going to be a problem?  It hasn't started bleeding, and I'm taking antibiotics and using saline spray.  Just worried that it will screw things up.

JAde

jadeskye wrote:

well I had the surgery about five days ago.  It was mostly okay, but I managed to accidently pull out one of my stiches! Anyone know if this is going to be a problem?  It hasn't started bleeding, and I'm taking antibiotics and using saline spray.  Just worried that it will screw things up.

JAde

Jade:  I hope that you get responses to your concern.  I wish that I could help you.  This forum is the most incredible source of information and I know you'll get some help.  Pulling a stitch must be a scary thing.

If you don't mind, and when you feel up to it, I am keenly interested in your experience.  I am scheduled for surgery and having second thoughts about the pain and post-surgery experience.  I have received such wonderful help, and I thought that since your surgery was so recent, you could help me.

Did you have a lot of cotton packing or did your surgeon use the sponges or something else?
Were you in a lot of pain.  I know that pain is subjective, but I'm interested in your experience?
Did you have a CT scan before the surgery?

Thank you in advance for any comments you would like to offer.

Griffin