Wow... I've put this off for so many
years, but things are getting kind of bad
these days, so it's time to act.
I have chronic sinus congestion, and have
had it since I was 14 years old. I am now
37. Since I was in my teens, one nostril
has always been clogged. Not most of the
time, but always. It is not the same one
all the time. In fact, I have literally
had my left nostril clogged completely and
in a matter of ten seconds or so, it will
switch over to the right nostril, and the
left is clear. All of my symptoms seem
like a deviated septum, but I can't find
any information about the clogged nostril
shifting with a deviated septum.
I have lived with this condition because
it never really affected me that much. It
was just kind of a nuisance. In the past
five years or so, I have started having
problem with allergies, and it's just
gotten worse. I now have had a sinus
infection (perhaps?) for about two months.
I have daily sinus headaches, coughing,
and nasal drainage (throat) that I can't
seem to shake.
Yesterday, I purchased a sinus rinse kit,
not unlike a neti pot, and am in the
process of giving it a shot.
I guess I'm just getting older and less
invincible, and would like to finally wrap
up some of my ailments that have been
around for a while.
|
Pa.Lyn
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 31 May 2008 Posts: 7
Posted: 05-31-08 12:54pm
I cant say weather my sinus problems ( all
my liofe and Im 57) were due to my
deviated septum, But I have recently been
to an Ear, nose and throat specialist that
my primary sent me to due to chronic
obstructive sleep apnea. My nostrils did
teh alternating clog thing a lot of times
too, but again, I dont know if this is due
to the deviation, or what. I had an
option of using a CPAP machine for the
rest of my life, or having the corrective
surgery. I chose to get it corrected. The
surgery included the deviated septum
correction, the uvula and soft palate
thinned and tonsils removed, ( yep, all at
once) this was a real experience, but I am
now day 18 post op. The nasal splints
came out at my 2 week check up and even
though I guess its still probably too
early to tell, I can tell you Ive never
breathed so clearly as I have these last
few days. I just couldnt see using a
machine every night if I could get it
corrected. My ENT said there was a 50-60%
success rate, so I went for it. Having it
all done at once is misserable, mostly for
the first 5-7 days ( especially the first
3) but its slight improvement daily after
that. The septoplasty itself actually
wasnt painful for me. The plastic splints
are uncomfortable, and they stay in for 2
weeks, but thats about it. Not being
allowed to blow your nose for 2 weeks was
no picnic, but It really wasnt painful, at
least for me. That was good, because the
UP3, ( soft palate and uvula thinning) and
the tonsils ( also lasered off) made up
for the pain the septoplasty didnt cause.
Just to share, hope it helps.
