nasal congestion

Ears, nose and throat
1

Hi Everyone,

My problem started about 6 years ago. I don't remember triggering it, but my nose got fully blocked, I couldn't breath through my nose at all. I went to see an ENT specialist, done the allergy test. He said that I was allergic to dust mites, and that I needed a surgery to trim my middle turbinates so the nasal spray could get through. 

After the surgery my nose was fine for fine, but it was very short lived. After a few weeks it was just as bad as before. 

I tried different nasal steroid sprays, antihistamines, saline, capsicain prays, acupuncture, and noting, not the slightest improvement.

My ENT said that the hot humid weather was the problem and if I moved to a cooler climate it would get better. So I did, and indeed it got better. I no longer live there, moved about a year ago, but still having nasal congestions. At night times one side is always congested, during the day it's better, but sometimes it can get really bad, no idea from what. Maybe the change in the weather, pressure. 

I also noticed, that if I bend forwrd my nose immediately starts to get blocked.

I also read that it could be a nerve damage in the nose, and that the blood vessels loose the ability to constrict.

I think doctors looking that problem from the wrong way. Trying to reduce the inflamation in the nose without knowing what causing it. It's like if you had a swollen gum from a bad tooth, and they would only treat the inflamation. There wouldn't be any point to do that without treating the tooth itself, which causing the problem at the firt place right?

So I assume that's the case with this awful sinus cngestions, cause unknown therefore most treatments  fail.

I'm very supsicios from ENTs, I heard many horror stories where surgery not only didn't help but made things much worse! 

I'm wondering if anyone had or having similar promlems and how you managing it.

Feedback, advice is appreciated

2

i can see you have tried accupuntrue 

with no results 

i always found reflexology to be better for most thing .

have you tried colidaul silver nasel spray . 

its hard to suggest stuff because like so many they have just treated the symptoms and have not gone after why

they did they same with me for 16 yrs with iron injections with no answer to why i was anemic just gueses. try the reflex .its not hooey it is excellant for saying whats wrong and in some cases even putting it right.

3

thx, I did try colloidal silver, didn't help.

Reflexology, maybe, I might give it a try. 

 

4

iv known people who have had constipation most of there lives and have been sorted out with a seven week course and a maintence treatment once a month

,also i took my son when he couldnt keep food down and doctors were dragging there feet ,as his weight dropped to 9st and he stood 6ft8 , still not that bothered , reflexlogist told me he had a tight gullet 

which i had already guesed doctors still dragged it out , he was on his knees before they treated him .

and it help me alot to with my fibro , unfortunatly the lady retired and was not replaced .hoping to move this yr to a bigger town and find someone eles as good . good luck .

5

I am sorry if I upset you but it does not exist allergy to humid, you may be allergic to mold or just the mites that affects you like hot weather. If you are in America cold and dry places in the Inner United States would be better. Finally if you tried immunotherapy and it did not work might indicate that it was not the right vaccine or strong enough. My experience went in that way I was tested for mites and it went positive I tried drops with no results, I was retested and it happened to be allergic to Euroglyphus Mainey, another mite. In the South of United States "Blomia Tropicalis" would be common and it has a totally different composition that would make your initial treatment worthless, I suggest you to try anotehr clinic but insist in testing only other perennial allergens such as mold, cockroaches and other mites species (Just me I was tested for 8). You might find the problem and then seek for the right immunotherapy. Finally ultra rush immunotherapy treatments provide faster results. Give it a go. 

6

thx, I thought about it and discissed it at the time with my allergist, but as she said, it is impossible to get tested for everything, They only test you for the very common thing, and I have done that. So while it is possible that I am allergic to something else than dust mites, it is not possible to get tested for it. So there you go, catch 22.

But with the humidity, it's not allergy, it's sensitivity. But at the end of the day, it's the same thing

7

If she said so, my only recommendation is changing allergist, doctors are mean to out things not justifying why they do not know. You do not need to be tested for everything a consultant most select aditional tests in function of symptoms. What is happening is that your specialist does not have the proper test range. My own experience is similar I had to try three diferents specialist btw in three diferents countries as Allergy Managemenet in the UK and Ireland is a disgrace. Yet in the end the cheapest test did find the problem. BTW Where did you used to live?

8

What did they find? What are you allergic to?

I live in Australia, lived in quite a few places. south, tropical north, and now in between. Much better. 

You 're right there, they don't have a proper test range! I thought about it a lot, but would need to be a micor biologist or something to figure it out, or at least to know what to get tested for

I think in all Australia the allergy tests are the same, same range at least. I asked another allergist, and had exactly what I already had done. I could have another look into it though.

Anyway, I will have my appointment soon with a new ENT, I will ask about it. Thx for the advice.

 

9

Sorry to hear this l also have a deviated nasal septum and inflamed turbinates which will be trimmed. I have been referred to ENT and waiting for an appointment for an operation. You said the breathing makes no difference after a while. This is worrying and putting me off slightly. I also have a bump on my nose that wasn't there before so I am hoping they will shave this down too. Is it worth it therefore?

10

ok I have read across your test and I need to ammend myself, I was tested in Barcelona (Spain) this spring for 8 kinds of mites, being sensitive to three of them, however that is not the problem that matters to you, when I had my surgery my doctor confirmed that he would only correct the pipes but he could not stop the flood. In plane vocabulary, dust mites cause allergic rhinithis, allergic rhinitis induces the sinusitis. Your ENT probably did the job properly so you gotta focus only on the alllergic rhinitis. I need to highlite "the mites allergy is almost sure the whole explanation to your problem", when you move to cold and dry places it dissapears as they do noyt like that weather, It is absolutely possible that on meds and sprays you may not control your rhinitis, I have been there. So solutions.

In australia you will find "Allergic clinics" that will give you allergic shots that btw are imported from Europe such as Alustal (Stallergenes) or Alutard (alk-abello) This will take up to a year but it will really improve or  get rid of the problem. However should your location make not possible such a treatment (allergic shots), give a shot to this 

On the web page of ALK-Abello you will see that a new immunotherapy tablet is been approved in Europe and Japan just now, this means It should be available in Australia no longer than the next year, I was waiting to use that treatment for myself but I lost my patient and went for the shots, however it is new and with lots of data in favour of its use. I think it may be called Mitizax but ain't sure. The treatment for allergy to dust mites is evolving right now as I find obvious that labs know there is a lot of money to make from this. I suggest you to keep track on google and try what is more suitable.

11

Hi Brenda,

I was just at the public hospital on FRI to see a specialist. This was actually my 2nd visit, 3 mnts ago a younger lady checked me out, who said I had enlarged turbinates and surgery might help. She suggested to give another try with the spray.

So I went back this Fri and I finally got to see the main senor doctor. I also had a new CT with me. 

He was the only one so far who actually did bother to check the CT and analise it, - maybe because there was a student there as well and wanted to explain to her - but anyway he done a really thourough examination: CT & camera. 

He said that there is really nothing wrong with my nose, it's the PHYSIOLOGY of my nose which causing the turbinates to swell. He said that it is due to temperature and humidity changes and other things I might breath in.

That is pretty much what I was thinking all along, also the guy who done the CT told me while showing the CT to me right there, that he has similar problems and there is realy nothing wrong with my nose, at least nothing which surgery could fix. He also said that he refuses to go under the knife as he recons allergies are not fixable with surgery.

ENT said the same thing, that surgery would have very little benefit if any at all. And when I asked about ENS (empty nose synd.) he said absolutely, it is a risk. Overall he suggested not to go ahead with th surgery. It would be only advisable if my condition would be really dramatic. I just hope he didn't put me off because he wanted to save money for the public hospital. But he sounded really sincere. 

As I am fine really most of the time during the day and get congested at night, but I can still breath trough one side most of the time, I can manage. I really need to find a solution for those really bad nights when I can't get to sleep cause of the congestion.

Maybe some sort of breating machine  like for those who have sleep ap, something which would provide clean airbut, but nobody I know of have developed such machine.

Air purifier doesn't take out the humidity, dehumidifiers would need to be industrial grade, to have any effect, would be extremely hard and expensive to use it in a big house.

Breanda just another note, there was one ENT I saw a few years ago, he said that I had deviated septum, and wanted to fix that + turbinates. He lied, just in hope I would go ahead and spend all that money for nothing. My septum is dead straight, no any other specialists questioned it. Can clearly see it on the CT.

So make sure you get a 2nd opinion before surgery.

 

12

You may be aspirin-sensitive.  About 6% of the population are (sensitive to salicylates, that is - which happens to include acetyl salicylic acid, aka aspirin).  The condition has been recognised for a century, known as Samter's Triad, after the person who first noted it.  It comes with asthma, a tendency to upper respiratory tract infections, recurrent nasal polyps. 

If so, there is no cure - it is a genetic condition which develops in later life (after ~40).  However, reducing or eliminating salicylates from ones diet (and, obvously, from one's medications) helps.  Wine is loaded with salicylates, for example - because it exists in the skin of grapes.  The only fruits which do not contain salicylates are bananas (!) and pears.  Consequently, I drink perry (fermented pear juice) instead of the more normal tipples!

One's sensitivity to salicylates seems to worsen as the polyps develop.  So straight after surgery to remove the polyps, i am fine with anything; but eventually, the sensitivity to salicylates develops and intensifies.

FFord05

13

Hi thank you for all this very useful advise I also have inflamed turbinates which the GP suggested I can have shaved back when the specialist at ENT sees me as well as the DNS so I'll have both seen to. I may also suggest to the doctor to shave slightly the bump on my bridge which was not there years ago so hopefully I can have a few things sorted in one go I certainly hope it will be worth it then and solve a few problems in one. I find that because my nose is blocked I get a constant hissing sound in my ears.Is this normal in this situation, does anyone else experience this?By the way what is ENS?

14

ENS means empty nose syndrome. It happens when too much of the turbinates are taken out, and despite the nose is clear from any physical obstruction the patiient feels constant congestion.

The problem with the surgery no one knows really how much is too much, so it is a risk. ENS is not fixable. 

That's why in my case the risk is far too big in contrast with the benefit I could get. 

ENS is rare, but it is a risk.

 

15

I had my turbinates removed (without prior consultation from the surgeon!)  I would advise against it.  The turbinates are used as 'signposts' by surgeons to find their way around in the nasal cavity - especially finding the entrance to the ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses (towards the rear of the cavity).  Polyps tend to form IN the sinuses, (but also on the turbinates)  No turbinates makes navigation more difficult for the surgeon (which means they may do a less thorough job of removing polyps from the sinuses).