deviated septum , breathing problems through the nose.

[taffy84]

after reading a few articles about osa , problems , causes and other things i have read that a deviated septum can also have a major part in causing sleep apnea because of the restriction of airflow through the nose. i myself have a badly deviated septum and do suffer with alot of nasal problems, breathing through my nose and congestion. has anyone got this same problem, or had septoplasty to correct this ? has it worked for you ? any info would be great..... also anyone suffer with congestion, what can i use to keep me breathing through my nose clearly through the nights. get so stuffed up with the mask on then end up getting panic attacks so then the mask gets ripped off and launched across the bedroom through frustration. all info and advice greatly appreciated.

[herbm]

I have a moderately deviated septum.

It causes/caused lots of congestion or at least contributed to it.

You should see and ENT, but mine basically said this: Start with easy & cheap stuff (Flonase) then work up to expensive and difficult stuff (surgery).

Flonase went OTC in the US recently and costs about $12 -- doesn't cause "rebound" -- it is NOT a decongestant so you cannot expect IMMEDIATE relief, it's more of a week or before you get good results.

He was kind enough to write a prescription which dropped my price to $4.

[taffy84]

i am waiting to see an ENT. specialist, hopefully wont be too long. will see my gp. and see what i can get prescribed. ive tried a few different nasal sprays but nothing works, so then have to resort to chemicals ( otrivine) not good to use every night. hopefully get something a little stronger from him.... thanks for the info... take care.......

[Peter_C]

My nose was broken for the first time when I was 13. It was broken a number of times again since then. Around my third year of CPAP (am bad on dates), my Doc decided it was time, so first my nose was 'repaired' (do not know all the gory details, only that much 'stuff' was removed, and they re-broke my nose in 2 places), and 45 days after I had throat surgery to remove Mr. Flappy, some various tissue I no longer needed, and had the base of my tongue 'microwaved' (that's how my Doc told me).

I would do the nose repair over in a heartbeat~! Until my mid-40s I never knew one could breathe while kissing someone - for me it was how long could I hold my breath. That's how bad my nose was. The throat surgery - meh, not so thrilled, but I know I needed it. Still on CPAP, but at a lower pressure, and way much more comfortable.

Can't even remember my last sinus infection, and I used to get them all the time.

[zonk]

Most of people don,t have a perfectly straight septum. Small deviation is okay won't cause any symptoms. but if the septum is too deviated to one side or the other, it can obstruct the movement of air through the nasal passages and draining mucus from the sinuses and nose

I had septoplasty surgery to straighten the septum, before surgery 95th percentile was around 13, now around 10 but still my nose get congested
The congestion is one if CPAP side effects, there is no such thing as free lunch, coping with the side effects is better than the alternative of not using PAP. Saline nasal rinses helps and cheap with no side effects

Get a CT scan done before the surgery, as with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved that need to be considered, talk with your doctor if the surgery is the right choice for you

[herbm]

Actually for me the CPAP was not only a "free lunch" but also they gave me a bonus for doing it:

It keeps my chronic congestion at bay (so far) with no more drugs or saline wash needed.

This is NOT an uncommon effect according to my ENT and people on various forums.

But then my CPAP life has been quite charmed.

I still say that for me, the inconvenience of CPAP is outweighed by JUST the immediate effects of:

1) Sleeping mostly through the night without more than one bathroom breaks
2) Improvement in chronic congestion
3) No snoring (for my wife, doesn't bother me )
4) Ability to just pull covers over my head and breath fresh air

If there are NO benefits to long term health and no improvements in mental or physical capabilities during the day, I would still do it just for the above.

My congestion doesn't even return during the day now.

[taffy84]

thanks for the info guys..... zonk, how much saline solution do i squirt up the snout ? and do i let it run back out or do i snort it down the back of my throat ?? havnt done this before so in need of guidance...thanks..

[zonk]

thanks for the info guys..... zonk, how much saline solution do i squirt up the snout ? and do i let it run back out or do i snort it down the back of my throat ?? havnt done this before so in need of guidance...thanks..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW9mvVe7Mk4

[ThatOtherGuy]

3 years ago I had Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS), septoplasty and rhinoplasty after waiting years for various reasons. I had had surgery earlier in my life but like Peter_C I broke my nose first when young (around 16), had surgery and continued to break it a few more times. I finally got sick of being sick with sinus infections and had the aforementioned surgery. The Rhinoplasty was to change the shape of my nose to improve airflow, FESS to remove much of the accumulated junk in the sinus cavity (had a keratocyst and wisdom teeth removed 6 years ago) and finally septoplasty to correct the very deviated septum.

Even with all that I suffered from OSA symptons and finally had PAP prescribed last year. I also suffer from hayfever so use various nasal sprays such as Avamys and Nasonex. To help reduce congestion at night I add a little medicinal Eucalyptus oil (about 0.5ml) suitable for inhalers to the humidifier. This helps tremendously. Also helps keeps germs away as it is a natural disinfectant. I've never felt better.

[taffy84]

thanks zonk.... will start the rinse and see how i get on.