Newbie needs help with sinus weirdness..

[Sleepster]

Whatever you do, do not use the inhalor immediately after using the rinse.

Don't do it the way around, either. You'll just flush out all the medicine.

[Olyhouse]

[quote='Olyhouse' pid='87284' dateline='1413255564']

Hi Olyhouse, I too had this problem. I could sleep ok on my left side, but my nostril would block shortly after turning onto my right. The only remedies I could find is what other members have posted here, but wait - there's more. After a long long wait I got to see an ENT. This doc declared that my turbinates were "huge" and a resection would likely fix the problem. Long story short, I had the surgery & now can breather freely all day and through either nostril when sleeping on either side. My favored side is still my left, bit I think that's a matter of habit. The surgery was not as bad as I feared, so I would advise consulting an ENT because it wont get any better otherwise. The (six) turbinates are there to warm and humidify the air as we breathe in, but only the lower (inferior) pair can be re sectioned. It makes a huge difference!

Thanks Geoff! My initial research has shown exactly what you've shared here. I notice that I feel far more refreshed when I wake up breathing through my nose, so I'm off to get a referral for an ENT Dr. Question: Have you then switched to a nasal mask, or are you still using FFM? Thanks again!

[zonk]

Thanks Geoff! My initial research has shown exactly what you've shared here. I notice that I feel far more refreshed when I wake up breathing through my nose, so I'm off to get a referral for an ENT Dr.

Last year, I had surgery to fix deviated septum and the turbinates, the surgery did not help much at all. I would not go through it again or advice anyone to go through it either unless in extreme cases and all things tried and failed. Not all ENTs recommend the surgery but most of them do, surgery is their specialty

[woozie38]

Thanks Geoff! My initial research has shown exactly what you've shared here. I notice that I feel far more refreshed when I wake up breathing through my nose, so I'm off to get a referral for an ENT Dr. Question: Have you then switched to a nasal mask, or are you still using FFM? Thanks again!

Initially I used a nasal pillows mask, & in my opinion this is the best mask for continued efficient therapy. However, there then becomes the question of mouth leaks. Both oral and nasal passages end in the same airway so that PAP pressure via nose can & will escape via mouth. Stopping this effect, despite the use of a chin strap and mouth taping, soon became impossible. Therapy air escaping by mouth is very undesirable, so I switched to a FFM. This mask, used in conjunction with my "Wozle" (chin strap alternative I designed), produces the desired treatment. is comfortable and effective. BTW I did use all the nasal sprays suggested by other members but spays are ineffective against enlarged turbinates.

[Sleepster]

Last year, I had surgery to fix deviated septum and the turbinates, the surgery did not help much at all. I would not go through it again or advice anyone to go through it either unless in extreme cases and all things tried and failed. Not all ENTs recommend the surgery but most of them do, surgery is their specialty

If you have chronic sinusitis that doesn't respond to the triple cocktails of antibiotics, decongestants, and antihistamines, then sinus surgery is your only hope.

The amount of relief you get varies. After surgery some people still get recurring sinusitis that responds to the antibiotics, and others don't.

I take antihistamines daily and now get sinusitis maybe once every two years or less. I rarely have to take decongestants but I will do it if I have congestion.

[zonk]

Not all ENTs recommend the surgery but most of them do, surgery is their specialty

If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail

or

Give a small boy a hammer, and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding

[woozie38]

Not all ENTs recommend the surgery but most of them do, surgery is their specialty

If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail
or
Give a small boy a hammer, and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding

I agree but in fairness to my ENT, he did insert a tiny fibre-optic camera in my nose and threaded it right down to the glottis. I watched the entire procedure on a monitor. In my case at least, the need for turbinate resection was obvious, even to me.

[Franklyspeaking]

Ever so often I have this happen, I usually poke a dab of Vicks in that nostril and by morning all is well. I make sure no Vicks touches the mask. This has always worked for me.

[remscape808]

I wonder, has anyone yet tried a dab of Vick's vaporizer liquid on a small patch of cloth laid close to the CPAP machine's intake? Would that even be safe?

[DariaVader]

I wonder, has anyone yet tried a dab of Vick's vaporizer liquid on a small patch of cloth laid close to the CPAP machine's intake? Would that even be safe?

seems like a couple drops of eucalyptus on a cotton ball would be safer than vicks, which is a petroleum product.... (JMO) but I don't know in what proportion it would be safe either way