Any Nose Experts (septoplasty/turbinectomy)
Discussion
This has been a long ongoing issue and I am lost as to what to do next so I thought I would throw it out there and see if anyone has any experience/advice.(I wrote a longer version but it was dragging on so I shall try to summarise the best I can)
Long time ongoing issue with breathing through my nose being restricted (7 years or so), After a load of GP appointments I was eventually referred to ENT, turns out it was a deviated septum, enlarged turbinates and bone spurs.
I had surgery about 6 months later which consisted of the septoplasty to re-align the deviated septum, turbinectomy to reduce the size of the turbinates (possibly turbinoplasty, im not overly sure of the difference) as well as the removal of the bone spurs.
The operation was initially fairly successful and my breathing returned to around about 75% of what it was before the issue. not ideal but manageable. Since then it has progressively got worse over time. It is still better than it was pre-surgery but is again starting to affect daily life, Mainly sleep and I am constantly trying to clear it or free it up to breath better. Now the hot weather is here, it aggravates it even further.
The reason I turn to PH is I have not had the best experiences with either GP's or a particular ENT doctor. I dont want to sidetrack too much but its sort of left me feeling like ive nowhere to go.
In summary: many GP appointments before eventually being referred back to ENT where ive had 3 appointments with a very unpleasant ENT doctor. She is very dismissive and the memorable qoute I have from her is "your breathing will just never be great" amongst others. Im normally very submissive when it comes to medical appointments under the presumption that they are the experts and know best but this doctor just leaves me feeling frustrated and dejected. She seems to not really take in what I am explaining in terms of symptoms and talks in a manner as if I am wasting her time and making it all up. The last appointment I had a CT scan, She said there was something out of place but didnt explain what and that it shouldnt be causing my reported issues. She does not recommend surgery again in any instance and specifically told me to ignore anyone who tells me otherwise which I thought was a bit weird.
Im not sure what to do now, My breathings getting worse and getting to a point of one side now almost being completely blocked again. For example: If i place a finger under each nostril and exhale through my nose, I only feel air hitting one finger. I have to pinch the "good" side and then some air exhales through the restricted side. I can sometimes get some respite by excessively blowing my nose, Nothing comes out when I do this but sometimes it frees it off a little almost like the nasal passage is so small, the tiniest bit of mucus or similar is blocking it but there is nothing there.
I dont want to go the rest of my days constantly looking like im snotting out my nose or prying at it trying to breath but I dont fancy the cycle of GP's to get back to same ENT doctor and told to go away.
Does anyone have any avenues I could explore. Obviously at the moment with covid issues I am not a priority by any means and will have to put up with it at least for the foreseeable future but after another horrible nights sleep and the reason this is being posted at 1am, Ive decided im going to try again at getting it resolved.
I dont know if I can request a referral to a different ENT doctor?
Ive googled private ENT's but im not sure on how the private medical side of things work.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Long time ongoing issue with breathing through my nose being restricted (7 years or so), After a load of GP appointments I was eventually referred to ENT, turns out it was a deviated septum, enlarged turbinates and bone spurs.
I had surgery about 6 months later which consisted of the septoplasty to re-align the deviated septum, turbinectomy to reduce the size of the turbinates (possibly turbinoplasty, im not overly sure of the difference) as well as the removal of the bone spurs.
The operation was initially fairly successful and my breathing returned to around about 75% of what it was before the issue. not ideal but manageable. Since then it has progressively got worse over time. It is still better than it was pre-surgery but is again starting to affect daily life, Mainly sleep and I am constantly trying to clear it or free it up to breath better. Now the hot weather is here, it aggravates it even further.
The reason I turn to PH is I have not had the best experiences with either GP's or a particular ENT doctor. I dont want to sidetrack too much but its sort of left me feeling like ive nowhere to go.
In summary: many GP appointments before eventually being referred back to ENT where ive had 3 appointments with a very unpleasant ENT doctor. She is very dismissive and the memorable qoute I have from her is "your breathing will just never be great" amongst others. Im normally very submissive when it comes to medical appointments under the presumption that they are the experts and know best but this doctor just leaves me feeling frustrated and dejected. She seems to not really take in what I am explaining in terms of symptoms and talks in a manner as if I am wasting her time and making it all up. The last appointment I had a CT scan, She said there was something out of place but didnt explain what and that it shouldnt be causing my reported issues. She does not recommend surgery again in any instance and specifically told me to ignore anyone who tells me otherwise which I thought was a bit weird.
Im not sure what to do now, My breathings getting worse and getting to a point of one side now almost being completely blocked again. For example: If i place a finger under each nostril and exhale through my nose, I only feel air hitting one finger. I have to pinch the "good" side and then some air exhales through the restricted side. I can sometimes get some respite by excessively blowing my nose, Nothing comes out when I do this but sometimes it frees it off a little almost like the nasal passage is so small, the tiniest bit of mucus or similar is blocking it but there is nothing there.
I dont want to go the rest of my days constantly looking like im snotting out my nose or prying at it trying to breath but I dont fancy the cycle of GP's to get back to same ENT doctor and told to go away.
Does anyone have any avenues I could explore. Obviously at the moment with covid issues I am not a priority by any means and will have to put up with it at least for the foreseeable future but after another horrible nights sleep and the reason this is being posted at 1am, Ive decided im going to try again at getting it resolved.
I dont know if I can request a referral to a different ENT doctor?
Ive googled private ENT's but im not sure on how the private medical side of things work.
Any advice would be appreciated.
I believe there was polyps that were also dealt with as part of the surgery.
I have tried avamy's, several times, its one of the sprays the GP's kept prescribing and insisting I tried for 3 months, I also had flixonase which i believe is a similar steroid, That seemed a little more effective but no longer any help. Also had several courses of prednisolone which was the most effective initially but only lasted a short time.
Never suffered with hayfever, GP also thought the same prescribed antihistamine's which didn't have any affect.
I have tried avamy's, several times, its one of the sprays the GP's kept prescribing and insisting I tried for 3 months, I also had flixonase which i believe is a similar steroid, That seemed a little more effective but no longer any help. Also had several courses of prednisolone which was the most effective initially but only lasted a short time.
Never suffered with hayfever, GP also thought the same prescribed antihistamine's which didn't have any affect.
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