Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Forum - swollen nasal turbinates

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Q: swollen nasal turbinates

asked by: kris80 on July 13th, 2008

New User

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am an 28 yer healthy male who unfortunately abused Otrivine (oxymetazoline nasal drops) for a period of 12 months so as to fight my night time nasal congestion

The last 7 months one of my nostrils is almost completely blocked-the blocked nostril is alternating and I feel pressure on that side. The blockage is there only when I lie down or sit, the blocked nostril opens up when I excercise, run, walk briskly. Why?

I visited many good ENTs. The problem was obvious: enlarged (swollen) turbinates. No nasal discharge and prich test negative so the docs said vasomotor rhinitis

Initially we thought rhinitis medicamentosa. I stopped the oxymetaz. nasal drops and used Nasonex (steroid sspray) and Xozal antohistamine. Neither helped. I switched to Pulmicort/Flexotide steroids -NO relief. Saline just helped with the dryness. Tapered Oral steroids (prednisone) also tried. Very small temporary relief

Being a very active and decisive young man I tried to resolve the situation as soon as possible

-Did a CT scan of the sinuses ALL CLEAR, turbinate shape not abnormal, septum very mildly deviated

-Had prick tests all negative, IgE within normal range

-Had antibody tests against all usual viruses (from HIV to CMV) everything OK

-Had a mucosa sample taken-nothing uncommon

-Had blood count tests-eosinophils were double the normal count but these eventually dropped, the problem was reduced but NOT resolved-the blockage is still there

The only drug that does temporarily help is a nasal spray called Dexarhina (german product which we have in Greece where I live). It has decongestant (so bad due to the rebound) and a steroid put together.

My doctor mentioned Radiofrequency Surgical Turbinate Reduction, to resolve the issue. I am very concerned about:

1) Is what I have typical vasomotor rhinitis? Why can't it resolve with drugs ?(or the problem is that I can't live without drugs...as the congestion comes back)

2) I would like to avoid Radiofreq surgery due to the so called Empty Nose Syndrome (www.emptynosesyndrome.org). Is my fear well-founded? Should I really worry?

3) I (paradoxically) tend to believe I need surgery-otherwise the problem will not resolve. Do you agree with that?

Regards,

Chris

Replies(3)

johnv007abc

replied on January 7th, 2009

New User

turbinates swollen shut

hi chris

i suffer from the same problem. only afrin works. 500-1000 mgs of pseudoephedrine provides some relief but not worth the risk of taking so much.

i learned the reason for this is that im allergic to dogs, unfortunately mine. i have been taking allergy shots for 5 years to no avail. dont trust the prick test for this as i came up low to dogs on that test. some things your body just reacts to weird i guess. but i only get symptomatic when my dog has been in my home recently. i get it particularly bad when i am in bed or on my sofa, 2 places where my dog spends the majority of her time. i am 100% certain it is because of my dog because when she is away for long periods of time my nasal passages are super clear after i wash the sheets and beat out the dust from the sofa.

in your case since you have it at nite, i imagine it may be mites or something in your bed. before getting surgery i would suggest buying a new mattress pillow sheets and stick to hypoallergenic synthetics rather than down. use a different laundry detergent. theres has got to be something in your environment you are allergic too. do you ever stay in a hotel for a week and how is your nose then?

i clear up too when i go outside. i reckon its from breathing allergen-free air and my hystamine levels subside.

anyways, best of luck and would love to hear from you if you find any other solution to this problem. its nice to know someone else has this. the doctors dont seem to be able to help nor understand what is really going on.

relaxandenjoy

replied on January 7th, 2009

New User

Hi Chris:

I did get some relief from those nasal strips but they made my nose raw after a while because of the adhesive. I also tried the drugs and the sprays but after a "honeymoon" period they all stopped working. I finally gave in and did the surgery (septoplasty with turbinate reduction). I have to say it's the best thing I've ever done for my overall health. I no longer get ear infections (always on the side with the most congestion), I sleep better and don't need drugs or sprays of any kind. Even if I catch a cold, I'm still able to breathe without a decongestant. Surgery isn't for everyone but the younger you are when you have it done, the easier it is to recover (I waited until I was 40). Best of luck!
Joel

Frog154

replied on November 1st, 2009

Experienced User

Cheers Joel, thanks for coming back and letting us hear some good news (I've got the same thing, invisible sinus problems but only seem to hear people go un-cured!)

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