Is it possible that I have, Gulp, empty nose syndrome?
It’s a frightening prospect after nasal or sinus surgery to entertain the thought that you could have a serious complication known as Empty Nose Syndrome (ENS). It will make you sick just thinking about it. Adding confusion to the mix is that some temporary complications are similar to ENS, including dryness, scabbing, bleeding, and congestion. And, let’s face it, you shouldn’t worry about getting ENS until it’s been a while. Dr. Steven Houser of Cleveland, Ohio, for example, who is well versed in treating ENS patients, will not diagnose someone with ENS until a full year has passed after turbinate reduction surgery.
However, you certainly could be experiencing ENS symptoms immediately after surgery, such as paradoxical blockage sensation, and this symptom could indicate ENS. Confused? You should be. This is ENS we are talking about. It is incredibly complex and the symptoms vary considerably between patients.
And your ENS may not be as serious as you think. She may experience chronic nasal dryness and cold, dry air reaching her throat and lungs too quickly, which is downright annoying. Or it can be as serious as you think. If you’re like me, it could be a lot worse than you think.
I have experienced some of the following issues:
1) Vomiting after meals due to dry nose and throat.
2) Blow my nose with all my strength but with small exits.
3) Feeling like I’m just not breathing right or “stuffy.”
4) Chronic sinus symptoms, often including nasal and sinus inflammation.
5) Chronic irritation of the throat that fluctuates between sore and irritated.
6) Excessive preoccupation with the nose.
If you go to your doctor, they may tell you that you are a difficult patient to treat… because you are. You give yourself and others a headache and it’s not just due to a lack of orderly (moody) incoming airflow into your nose. His turbinates (nasal fingers) have been removed. You may believe that there is little hope for your condition and that most doctors are not sure how to treat it, because they are. They cannot reattach the turbinates and very few noble physicians have ventured into the realm of surgical reconstruction of missing turbinates today.
Given the vast lack of attention to this problem in the medical field, you begin to wonder if these doctors care. You just hope they want to treat (or diagnose) a problem that “they” have created. And he is extremely grateful to see a doctor who can accurately reflect on his symptoms. Dr. Houser, for example, has recognized that many of his patients are overly appreciative when they receive help from him.
So what should you do with this problem? There are many avenues for help you can seek, but you, no one else, have to fully learn about your problem and take a proactive stance on your health. Some treatment tips include pulsatile saline irrigation, allergy medications and injections, diet, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction. These treatments are not only beneficial for ENS, but are also useful for a number of nasal and sinus problems.
And while you’re at it, take some time to read Dr. Houser’s research article, “Surgical Treatment for Empty Nose Syndrome,” published in the September 2007 issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. This article is perhaps the first in a major medical journal to correctly define the ENS and was rated one of the best articles in the September 2007 journal. After you’ve finished digesting that (please don’t eat it), read Having a nose job? Don’t become a victim of empty nose! for a second intensive course in ENS. And when you’re done with those two activities, visit the Empty Nose Syndrome Association website at http://www.emptynosesyndrome.org, where you can talk with fellow sufferers. Or you can change the order of these activities if you want.
Poke your nose into these resources. You won’t be blamed for being nosy. After all, you may not have one.
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