Deviated Septum Symptoms

I’ve had difficulty breathing and deviated septum symptoms my entire life without fully realizing it.

It was a breathing problem that I accepted and I just dealt with it.

It was not until I had a severe nose bleed that I visited an ear, nose and throat specialist for diagnosis.

One look inside my nostrils and my doctor told me I had a deviated septum with 90% air blockage.

Wow, that just sort of hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve had this problem my entire life and I never actually knew it was called a deviated septum.

A deviated septum is basically any blockage in your sinuses which block the proper flow of air. In my case, it was initially diagnosed by looking into my nostrils and my doctor could clearly see I had cartilage blocking the air opening in my left nostril.

I was born with the condition. Many people have a deviated nasal septum as the result of some sort of injury or broken nose. Playing contact sports, is the most common deviated septum causes.

Frequent Sinus Infections

As long as I can remember, I have had nasal congestion. Almost every morning when I awoke and blew my nose, there was always a yellowish tint. I almost never blew when only thing that came out was clear. It made me feel like I was always on the verge of a sinus infection.

Over the last 10 years, I estimate that I have had at least 3 sinus infections per year.

My doctor has had to prescribe stronger antibiotics as time rolls on. My sinus infections are much harder to fight as I have had this chronic condition for years. It has been a horrible experience. It seems that I go see my family doctor every 3 months and there is nothing you can do to prevent the sinus infections. When your sinuses are blocked, it is a breeding ground for bacteria. As soon as the facial pain and headaches begin, I know I’m in for about 3 weeks of discomfort and heavy antibiotics. For me, I know immediately when the symptoms start. It also doesn’t matter what time of year, my sinus infections occur year round.

Deviated Septum Symptoms

When I would take my fingers and pinch my nose at the top near the bridge, I could feel a definite hardness on the left side of my nose that I couldn’t feel on the right side. It actually felt like bone. It wasn’t supposed to be there. It should have been soft tissue. That was one of my first symptoms that I probably had a deviated septum. The feel of my nose just wasn’t right. To look at my nose you couldn’t tell. But when I had people feel my nose from one side and then the other, they could really feel the difference and were kind of astounded.

I also started experiencing frequent nosebleeds. When your nose bleeds for no apparent reason, it’s time to visit your doctor to find the cause.

If your nose doesn’t feel exactly the same on both sides, there is a good chance you have a deviated septum also. If you breathe out of one nostril better than the other, that is also a symptom of a deviated septum. Any type of nasal obstruction that does not go away, needs to be looked at by a doctor.

Do you have frequent headaches that feel like they are behind your eyes? Do you have frequent sinus infections? Both of these are deviated septum symptoms. The best thing that I could recommend is for you to make an appointment with an ear, nose and throat specialist for a proper diagnosis.

Deviated Septum Snoring

Do you snore a lot? I did. My wife would kick me at night to stop or sometimes she would just get up and sleep somewhere else. Deviated septum symptoms are heavy snoring and it can possibly lead to sleep apnea. It seems like I never got enough good deep sleep. I was always tired.

After I had my initial visit with my doctor, he ordered a cat scan of my sinuses. This procedure only takes a few minutes and basically takes an x-ray of your sinuses. When I got the results back, it was clear that I had a lot of sinus problems. So much of my sinuses were disfigured and blocked. My sinus doctor assured me it could all be corrected.

Deviated Septum Surgery

The official name for the surgery is a Septoplasty. My sinus surgery was scheduled immediately. It was such a relief to know that these sinus problems I had all m y life were soon to be gone. All I wanted was to breathe again. Deviated septum repair is not a walk in the park, but it is not a surgery to be feared. I am so glad that I had my deviated septum operation. I am breathing freely now. I feel like a new man.

Photo credit: Mayo Clinic

Deviated Septum Treatments

In my case the treatments were easy. I was instructed to take Tylenol for pain which I had very little of. I had to do an antibiotic nasal flush twice a day for 30 days. The sinus flush is a combination of 2 medications mixed with saline. The flush will keep your sinuses flushed and applies the antibiotics into the deepest areas of your sinuses.

I would encourage you not to face a lifetime with breathing difficulties. There is no reason for that with all of the medical advances for sinus surgery. No longer do you experience the bruising and packing that just a few short years ago was the practice.

The surgery is now pretty much painless and you will only experience discomfort for about a week before returning to your normal lifestyle.

Make an appointment with your doctor today if you feel you are experiencing deviated septum symptoms.