Comments on nose surgery for problems breathing at times

[npolite]

Hi All,

While I do have very mild sleep apnea, AHI 5 and I don't actually stop breathing, my nose has been plaguing me since a sports accident years ago. The injury shifted my septum to the right side. I had deviated septum surgery 2 years ago which fixed the septum so that the air has a straight shot up but the passageway on the right side is still narrow enough where I feel like I am breathing out of a straw at times. It mostly happens after I eat dinner and at night while I am sleeping. I do get some random times where it bothers me for a while and I am picking at it to clear enough space to breathe better but usually need to wait until the left side opens up again.

I have visited one ENT that suggested to remove the septum, and harvest cartilage out of my ear to rebuild it. One other ENT said not to do anything. I recently visited one other ENT who specializes in Latera since the Breathe Right Strips seem to help. But I still feel groggy waking up in the morning. The ENT mentioned to go with that procedure and also do a turbinate reduction. I am highly allergic to grass and some trees but never have running or clogged noses. When my one side or other of my nose is working it isn't clogged with mucus, rather just isn't working. I have read this is normal.

I'm just a bit at a loss because I want to go in for the surgery that is going to open up the airway so I don't need to worry about this again but with different options I just don't know who is right. Any comments would be appreciated. I know some of this is probably related to my work stress and I want to leave once I get at least this nose situation resolved. I'm also almost 6' and 170 lbs. if that helps. If after stress is lowered and I still have issues I'll look at the sleep apnea further.

Thanks

[ChicagoGranny]

the passageway on the right side is still narrow enough where I feel like I am breathing out of a straw at times. It mostly happens after I eat dinner and at night while I am sleeping. I do get some random times where it bothers me for a while and I am picking at it to clear enough space to breathe better but usually need to wait until the left side opens up again.

Is this the only problem you are having now? You reported a lot of stress and awakenings when you first posted in 2015.

If what you describe above is the only problem you are having now, I would try saline nasal rinses before bed each night.

If that does not resolve the problem, you might add to the rinses a nightly dose of the decongestant pseudoephedrine (generic Sudafed). (Pseudoephedrine causes insomnia in some people, so discontinue if it bothers you.)

I am highly allergic to grass and some trees but never have running or clogged noses.

If you are indeed "highly allergic", you would have sneezing, nasal dripping and/or clogged nasal passages with each exposure. So, your comment is puzzling.

[Deja Nap]

I have similar difficulty breathing through both nostrils (can only get one working at a time).

Diagnosed COPD stage 1 since 2011, I now also barely have OSA (similarly AHI 5 plus RLS, though when I started CPAP five years ago my sleep test showed AHI 14). I also have a deviated septum, am allergic to ragweed and dust, have 2 small benign nasal polyps, and "chronic maxillary sinusitis" shows up on the MRI but its not chronic enough for antibiotics.

I was using flonase and azelastine, the occasional made-in-Mumbai Vicks levoamphetimine finger-sized inhaler, sudafed 5 days/month, netti pot 3-4x/month.

I could not breath thru my nose enough >1 week / month to use my resmed nasal pillows or the Philips lite version. Had to use the full face masks (brands except me but I have 2) which make me very claustrophobic and non-compliant.

2 months ago I went to my ENT with hopes of getting the balloon sinus procedure (forgot name) and he said to first try an RX of pulmicort in a saline nasal wash (using the netti pot squeeze bottle).

So now I do that twice'/day, Azelastine 2x/day, Flonase 1x/day, and while I am not breathing 100% of out of both nostrils, I have only had to (try to) use a full face mask 1x in the last 7-8 weeks. IOW, nearly 100% CPAP compliant.

I am nervous taking another steroid every day, (a little puffiness in the face at first) but so far I'll stick with it.

Meanwhile I have insomnia but my sleep doc says its not from OSA, so they have me on Sonata which is BS. But at least I can breathe...

Best of luck.

(YMMV, I am not a doctor and this isn't medical advice).

EDITED: I just found my equipment profile that I filled out months ago and it better explains the masks mentioned above:

"Started w Swift Nasal Pillows, wasted months with Airfit NP, then full masks, now [Philips] Dreamware."

Am still on Dreamware.

When I find the Nasal Pillow part that the DME sent that actually fits me, I will go back to trying that again, with hopes that my improved nasal breathing will finally work well with the Nasal Pillows.

IMHO, Dreamware is ok, but a bit noisy, but if you are slightly congested it is more forgiving than Nasal Pillows...

/my two cents.

[phuqueutoo]

I have similar difficulty breathing through both nostrils (can only get one working at a time).

Diagnosed COPD stage 1 since 2011, I now also barely have OSA (similarly AHI 5 plus RLS, though when I started CPAP five years ago my sleep test showed AHI 14). I also have a deviated septum, am allergic to ragweed and dust, have 2 small benign nasal polyps, and "chronic maxillary sinusitis" shows up on the MRI but its not chronic enough for antibiotics.

I was using flonase and azelastine, the occasional made-in-Mumbai Vicks levoamphetimine finger-sized inhaler, sudafed 5 days/month, netti pot 3-4x/month.

I could not breath thru my nose enough >1 week / month to use my resmed nasal pillows or the Philips lite version. Had to use the full face masks (brands except me but I have 2) which make me very claustrophobic and non-compliant.

2 months ago I went to my ENT with hopes of getting the balloon sinus procedure (forgot name) and he said to first try an RX of pulmicort in a saline nasal wash (using the netti pot squeeze bottle).

So now I do that twice'/day, Azelastine 2x/day, Flonase 1x/day, and while I am not breathing 100% of out of both nostrils, I have only had to (try to) use a full face mask 1x in the last 7-8 weeks. IOW, nearly 100% CPAP compliant.

I am nervous taking another steroid every day, (a little puffiness in the face at first) but so far I'll stick with it.

Meanwhile I have insomnia but my sleep doc says its not from OSA, so they have me on Sonata which is BS. But at least I can breathe...

Best of luck.

(YMMV, I am not a doctor and this isn't medical advice).

EDITED: I just found my equipment profile that I filled out months ago and it better explains the masks mentioned above:

"Started w Swift Nasal Pillows, wasted months with Airfit NP, then full masks, now [Philips] Dreamware."

Am still on Dreamware.

When I find the Nasal Pillow part that the DME sent that actually fits me, I will go back to trying that again, with hopes that my improved nasal breathing will finally work well with the Nasal Pillows.

IMHO, Dreamware is ok, but a bit noisy, but if you are slightly congested it is more forgiving than Nasal Pillows...

/my two cents.

flonase worked for years until it stopped
some others worked for a while and then stopped

i got the best relief gargling salt water and blowing it out my nose every day
after a few months almost all my problems had cleared

your problem may be different but symptoms seem similar so maybe it would help

I think you blew your brains out your nose a long time ago.

[SnoringInOregon]

When considering turbinate reduction, don't go overboard. Life can be hell for some who do:

en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Empty_nose_syndrome

Sorry about busted link, I am not registered.