Despite using a neti pot and a mild antihystamine mixture before bed my nasal passage don't remain open the entire night thus impeding the air flow and the effectiveness of CPAP therapy. A page on the American Rhinologic Society states "If your nose is congested on one side during part of the day and later conjested on the other side then it's not just the septum that is causing the nasal obstruction. In this instance an abnorman turbinate...may be causing the obstruction". Has anyone had a turbinate reduction that has resulted in better night time breathing and more effective CPAP?
Will turbinate reduction increase airflow?
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vesselpessel
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:14 pm
Do you use a HEATED humidifier? If so, what setting on which machine?
Den
Den
(5) REMstar Autos w/C-Flex & (6) REMstar Pro 2 CPAPs w/C-Flex - Pressure Setting = 14 cm.
"Passover" Humidification - ResMed Ultra Mirage FF - Encore Pro w/Card Reader & MyEncore software - Chiroflow pillow
User since 05/14/05
"Passover" Humidification - ResMed Ultra Mirage FF - Encore Pro w/Card Reader & MyEncore software - Chiroflow pillow
User since 05/14/05
I have the same question...
I may have the same condition.... I just started CPAP Therapy about 3 weeks ago and have struggled to get to sleep with the device due to feeling like I can't exhale against the postiive mask pressure. In looking over the sleep study notes from a follow-up visit with my ENT, his instructions basically indicate that if I have problems with CPAP therapy that a next step would be septal reconstruction and turbinate reduction.
I generally have one side of my nose or the other partially or fully plugged at any given time. I guess his diagnosis of a deviated septum and the turbinate issue to be confirmation that something in my nose is out of whack. The odd think about this whole sleep apnea thing is that I'm generally asymptomatic - I'm generally not sleepy during the day, I don't get headaches, etc. If my wife hadn't told me about my gasping for air during sleep upon occassion, I'd never have known. In any case, I'm struggling so much against the air pressure that I may plan on getting the nose fixes done..... I'm just not sure when I will do it.
So, I'm with the original poster... anyone else have their nose worked on and see an improvement??
Thanks!
I generally have one side of my nose or the other partially or fully plugged at any given time. I guess his diagnosis of a deviated septum and the turbinate issue to be confirmation that something in my nose is out of whack. The odd think about this whole sleep apnea thing is that I'm generally asymptomatic - I'm generally not sleepy during the day, I don't get headaches, etc. If my wife hadn't told me about my gasping for air during sleep upon occassion, I'd never have known. In any case, I'm struggling so much against the air pressure that I may plan on getting the nose fixes done..... I'm just not sure when I will do it.
So, I'm with the original poster... anyone else have their nose worked on and see an improvement??
Thanks!
> Has anyone had a turbinate reduction that has resulted in better night time breathing
> and more effective CAP?
Not me. For a brief period afterwards I thought that I might be breathing better. But after months past I realized that it was no better than before.
> I have struggled to get to sleep with the device due to feeling like I can't exhale against
> the positive mask pressure. ...
You should try a bipap machine to see if that solves the problem. It did for me.
> Machine: M Series Auto C-Flex CPAP Machine
> Additional Comments: M Series Auto w/Aflex
Do you have 2 machines? If so, use the setting on the aflex machine that provides the most exhalation relief to see if that helps. If it doesn't try bipap.
> I'm struggling so much against the air pressure that I may plan on getting the nose fixes done.
Don't let anyone operate on you until you see if aflex or bipap solves the problem.
I went to an ENT doc because I had trouble breathing. He found a deviated septum and also suggested trimming the turbinates. I had both done. Because I have sleep apnea, it required an overnight stay to "monitor" me (because of the anesthesia and potential breathing problems, I guess). Then I went around for a week with cotton pads stuffed up my nose 24-7 to stop the bleeding. Fortunately I was already using a FF mask. If you aren't, you want to get one ahead of time. Months later I decided that there was little if any difference. Certainly different people with different "nose problems" would have different results.
Skip ahead to recently. This is just bizarre. I was seeing a new doc and mentioned my breathing problem. He stuck the lighted pointer thingy up my nose, took a look, and asked if I had had my turbinates trimmed. When I said yes he said that they had been reduced too much. There is now too much empty space in there and it interferes with air flow. I recalled Physics 101 and the Bernoulli Principle and it all became clear to me. That's the effect you feel when you walk through some narrow, enclosed passageway and you feel the speed of the wind increase while you are in the narrow area. According to this doc, air doesn't flow _through_ my nose smoothly now.
I guess fixing the deviated septum probably helped some, though I'm not completely sure it was worth the inconvenience. It probably depends on the amount of the deviation. Trimming the turbinates was a negative in my case apparently, but that wouldn't be true for everyone. I don't know how to be sure that they're not trimmed too much.
> and more effective CAP?
Not me. For a brief period afterwards I thought that I might be breathing better. But after months past I realized that it was no better than before.
> I have struggled to get to sleep with the device due to feeling like I can't exhale against
> the positive mask pressure. ...
You should try a bipap machine to see if that solves the problem. It did for me.
> Machine: M Series Auto C-Flex CPAP Machine
> Additional Comments: M Series Auto w/Aflex
Do you have 2 machines? If so, use the setting on the aflex machine that provides the most exhalation relief to see if that helps. If it doesn't try bipap.
> I'm struggling so much against the air pressure that I may plan on getting the nose fixes done.
Don't let anyone operate on you until you see if aflex or bipap solves the problem.
I went to an ENT doc because I had trouble breathing. He found a deviated septum and also suggested trimming the turbinates. I had both done. Because I have sleep apnea, it required an overnight stay to "monitor" me (because of the anesthesia and potential breathing problems, I guess). Then I went around for a week with cotton pads stuffed up my nose 24-7 to stop the bleeding. Fortunately I was already using a FF mask. If you aren't, you want to get one ahead of time. Months later I decided that there was little if any difference. Certainly different people with different "nose problems" would have different results.
Skip ahead to recently. This is just bizarre. I was seeing a new doc and mentioned my breathing problem. He stuck the lighted pointer thingy up my nose, took a look, and asked if I had had my turbinates trimmed. When I said yes he said that they had been reduced too much. There is now too much empty space in there and it interferes with air flow. I recalled Physics 101 and the Bernoulli Principle and it all became clear to me. That's the effect you feel when you walk through some narrow, enclosed passageway and you feel the speed of the wind increase while you are in the narrow area. According to this doc, air doesn't flow _through_ my nose smoothly now.
I guess fixing the deviated septum probably helped some, though I'm not completely sure it was worth the inconvenience. It probably depends on the amount of the deviation. Trimming the turbinates was a negative in my case apparently, but that wouldn't be true for everyone. I don't know how to be sure that they're not trimmed too much.
My hubby had the surgery and he has more airflow, but his nose was really a mess to start with.
By the way, I couldn't breathe over the pressure when I first went on CPAP. I changed masks and now I never have any problem at all.
I was using the Swift before and I couldn't stand it. Changing to a nasal mask fixed the problem .
Also, my one side of my nose is always blocked, too, but I read a post here that claimed that this is normal.
If one side is open, your CPAP therapy will work.
By the way, I couldn't breathe over the pressure when I first went on CPAP. I changed masks and now I never have any problem at all.
I was using the Swift before and I couldn't stand it. Changing to a nasal mask fixed the problem .
Also, my one side of my nose is always blocked, too, but I read a post here that claimed that this is normal.
If one side is open, your CPAP therapy will work.
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