Deviated septum alternatives

Hi, @rhondah - ouch - sounds like a hard fall. Did you end up going to the doctor after the fall where you were diagnosed with a deviated septum?

I actually had deviated septum surgery personally in 1997. I went to a new allergist, and in the course of my initial exam he told me my septum was deviated and that repairing it could help my breathing, which gets compromised already by allergies and asthma. He sent me to an ENT, who performed the surgery about a month later. It was somewhat painful for a couple of days afterward (though I was given pain meds, getting the pain controlled perfectly was challenging) and quite uncomfortable with the packing in my nose. Long-term, however, my breathing is much improved. I would do it again.

I"m honestly not sure if there is anything that works as effectively as surgery to correct septal deviation. I'd like to ask members like @johnbishop who has talked about possibly having surgery for a deviated septum, as well as @imallears @smacky311 @bride @hispoet1 to comment on any thoughts they may have on surgical repair for a deviated septum, any personal experiences they may have and any viable alternatives they may be aware of.

What symptoms are you encountering for which you are taking the prednisone?

Hi, @rhondah – I would like to add my welcome to Connect along with @lisalucier and other members. I also have a deviated septum but was unaware of having the condition until I was tested for sleep apnea. I've always had trouble off and on breathing through my nose but didn't think much about it. The symptoms I have are mostly a stuffed up nose that blowing into a Kleenex doesn't help. When mine is really bad and bothering me I use NeilMed sinus rinse that is a small bottle of distilled water with saline solution to force water through the nostrils. It doesn't always completely clear my nose and doesn't last long but it helps. I've tried a neti-pot but like the bottle better. I've been thinking about buying a Navage device which looks to be easier to use than the bottle.

What symptoms do you have with your deviated septum? Is it mostly hard to breathe through the nose? I have been thinking about surgery but at soon to be 77 I'm not sure about having the surgery myself but mostly because of my age.

Hi, @rhondah - just wanted to check back and see what you are thinking of doing for your deviated septum?