3 ms·

Thanks for posting this. I've experienced something similar. My nasal passages have almost always been swollen since I was 11-12. Most ENTs I'd seen over the la

Thanks for posting this. I've experienced something similar. My nasal passages have almost always been swollen since I was 11-12. Most ENTs I'd seen over the last 15-20 years have completely failed to provide me with relief. Earlier in 2018 I visited an ENT who noted that my turbinates were "absolutely massive" and the rest of the nasal passage was swollen. Sometimes the swelling would affect the rest of my airway and I'd feel like I couldn't take even a moderately deep breath. I'd be rushed to the ER but the doctors couldn't find anything other than an elevated heart rate (and some immediately went to their go-to diagnosis of it being stress or a panic attack). After going through that about 10 times, I got a good doctor who told me: "oh dear, you're actually choking." But then, things like hereditary angioedema were ruled out, and the cause remained elusive. I later discovered I could control my symptoms with diet. I'm now looking into having somnoplasty to reduce the size of my turbinates, but it's unclear whether doing so will simply shift the problem to another narrow point of my swollen nasal passage. I appear to have lost some kind of cosmic lottery because I also have severe digestive issues and must follow a very strict diet (which also reduces the airway swelling). As you touched upon, it is very hard to accept that you spent most of your life not being able to be yourself. I know I spent most of mine in a subdued fight or flight mode due to the chronic strain on my basic bodily functions. It's been a cruel existence thus far and I can't wait for the day I can rid myself of this torture definitively (my plan for fixing my problems is getting closer to fruition and I've had some success with some of the measures I've tried).

jacobolus 8y ago
I’m curious how often these kinds of symptoms are caused by an undiagnosed chronic viral infection.
- theprotocol 8y ago
  It may even be a post-viral syndrome, which is virtually impossible to detect.
  - Salamat 8y ago
    Sometimes it is air pollution irritating the nose, when I went to Copenhagen, I said it was the first time I was able to breath in a decade, while I was smoking at 3 am outside my hotel,Bella Sky .
- grawprog 8y ago
  I'm pretty sure i've had a chronic sinus infection for a few years now. When I was a kid I was told I had narrow sinuses...I used to get ear infections pretty much any time i got sick. I find they don't drain properly. It always feels like there's liquid on one side. I can tell days it's worse, the area below my ear and jaw are warm to the touch and hurt to press. It comes and goes. The breathe right strips mentioned by another commenter helps. I find it feels more clear the next day after using them. But i've found the biggest thing that helps is paying attention to.my stress and the way I hold the muscles in my face. I find making a concious effort to takes some time to do some deep breathing and focus on relaxing the muscles around my eyes and my jaw really helps. A few days of keeping up with that and I findy breathing and pain and such go away. I also find it to.be a good way to gauge my stress levels. When the sinus infection cones back and stays for a bit. I know i've been slacking with being mindful and letting stress get on top of me.
  - jacobolus 8y ago
    Sleep makes a huge difference. Insufficient sleep compromises the immune system. Sleep deprivation also causes increased anxiety.
quotz 8y ago
Same thing with me! After going to ENTs for 5 years they all told me “nasal steroid sprays, antihistamines, nasal deviation”. The nasal steroids sprays and antihistamines never worked, so I thought surgery is the only option. I did an MRI of my brain for another reason, and there I go with the scan to the ENT, turns out I have huge turbinate swelling and no nasal deviation. I need to try more meds now before going in for surgery (turbinate reduction surgery).
- theprotocol 8y ago
  You might be interested in somnoplasty, it seems less invasive than traditional surgery, although I have yet to complete my research on it. It's usually done for soft palate reduction in order to remedy some forms of sleep apnea, but it can also be used for turbinate reduction. Somnoplasty uses radiofrequency to reshape soft tissues. I've had an ENT surgeon explain some of the normal/traditional surgical methods of doing turbinate reduction, and it seems to be fairly complex; some methods preserve or reconstruct the underlying bone structure which may be needed for the turbinates to function correctly, while others just do a straight reduction and don't consider the final composition of what remains of the turbinates. I'm trying to find out how somnoplasty relates to this.
  - quotz 8y ago
    I will check it out and do some research on it. I am giving antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays a final try, along with testosterone replacement therapy. Found out I am hypogonadic, and hormonal issues also cause turbinate hypertrophy. If none of these work I will do a surgery.
  - quotz 8y ago
    Let us know how your situation works out
brightball 8y ago
When I said “modified septoplasty”, turbinate reduction was the modification. In addition to the collapse, they were very large.
cylinder 8y ago
Have you ever lived in or spent extended time in a different climate? I've had many of the same problems and two surgeries. Things were definitely worse in the humid polluted swamp I used to live in...
- theprotocol 8y ago
  Yes, you're probably right about that being a trigger. Unfortunately moving is not an option right now.

jacobolus 8y ago

I’m curious how often these kinds of symptoms are caused by an undiagnosed chronic viral infection.

theprotocol 8y ago
It may even be a post-viral syndrome, which is virtually impossible to detect.
- Salamat 8y ago
  Sometimes it is air pollution irritating the nose, when I went to Copenhagen, I said it was the first time I was able to breath in a decade, while I was smoking at 3 am outside my hotel,Bella Sky .
grawprog 8y ago
I'm pretty sure i've had a chronic sinus infection for a few years now. When I was a kid I was told I had narrow sinuses...I used to get ear infections pretty much any time i got sick. I find they don't drain properly. It always feels like there's liquid on one side. I can tell days it's worse, the area below my ear and jaw are warm to the touch and hurt to press. It comes and goes. The breathe right strips mentioned by another commenter helps. I find it feels more clear the next day after using them. But i've found the biggest thing that helps is paying attention to.my stress and the way I hold the muscles in my face. I find making a concious effort to takes some time to do some deep breathing and focus on relaxing the muscles around my eyes and my jaw really helps. A few days of keeping up with that and I findy breathing and pain and such go away. I also find it to.be a good way to gauge my stress levels. When the sinus infection cones back and stays for a bit. I know i've been slacking with being mindful and letting stress get on top of me.
- jacobolus 8y ago
  Sleep makes a huge difference. Insufficient sleep compromises the immune system. Sleep deprivation also causes increased anxiety.

quotz 8y ago

Same thing with me! After going to ENTs for 5 years they all told me “nasal steroid sprays, antihistamines, nasal deviation”. The nasal steroids sprays and antihistamines never worked, so I thought surgery is the only option. I did an MRI of my brain for another reason, and there I go with the scan to the ENT, turns out I have huge turbinate swelling and no nasal deviation. I need to try more meds now before going in for surgery (turbinate reduction surgery).

theprotocol 8y ago
You might be interested in somnoplasty, it seems less invasive than traditional surgery, although I have yet to complete my research on it. It's usually done for soft palate reduction in order to remedy some forms of sleep apnea, but it can also be used for turbinate reduction. Somnoplasty uses radiofrequency to reshape soft tissues. I've had an ENT surgeon explain some of the normal/traditional surgical methods of doing turbinate reduction, and it seems to be fairly complex; some methods preserve or reconstruct the underlying bone structure which may be needed for the turbinates to function correctly, while others just do a straight reduction and don't consider the final composition of what remains of the turbinates. I'm trying to find out how somnoplasty relates to this.
- quotz 8y ago
  I will check it out and do some research on it. I am giving antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays a final try, along with testosterone replacement therapy. Found out I am hypogonadic, and hormonal issues also cause turbinate hypertrophy. If none of these work I will do a surgery.
- quotz 8y ago
  Let us know how your situation works out

brightball 8y ago

When I said “modified septoplasty”, turbinate reduction was the modification. In addition to the collapse, they were very large.

cylinder 8y ago

Have you ever lived in or spent extended time in a different climate? I've had many of the same problems and two surgeries. Things were definitely worse in the humid polluted swamp I used to live in...

theprotocol 8y ago
Yes, you're probably right about that being a trigger. Unfortunately moving is not an option right now.