When can I blow my nose after septoplasty?
I was cleared to gently blow my nose a month after my procedure.
Can I hurt my septoplasty?
Of course you can but think of it in terms of healing. Bones and cartlige take about 6-8 weeks to fully heal. Try not to hit your nose. Only you will know if something is wrong. If you're truly worried see your ENT, but remember noses are very durable!
When can I wear sunglasses?
A month after and only for short periods of time.
Why is my nose so big after my septoplasty?
It will take months for swelling to go down! There's nothing you can do to speed up the process. Your nose should be "set" on how it will look after a year.
When will my nose stop being dry?
It took at least 3 months for it to stop feeling dry. Even to this day (years later) I use KY jelly and saline spray during the cold, dry winter's of Colorado to get me by.
Why didn't my septoplasty stop my snoring?
A septoplasty isn't meant to correct snoring. It sometimes helps by straightening the wall between the two nasal passages by allowing air to pass smoothly through. Snoring is usually caused by the soft tissues of the palate and tongue. I have noticed personally that I don't snore as loud but it's not gone all together. I got my septoplasty to regain airflow through my blocked left nostril.
What does your nose look like before and after septoplasty?
I have posted the photos somewhere before but here is the old and my newest picture of me about 1 year and 4 months later. As you can see the major curve in my nose is gone and my nose settled nicely. I have full breathing ability from both nostrils, which is what I wanted!
I am 6 days post surgery and your blog is very encouraging. I'm still in a lot of pain and have a lot of sinus pressure. Also, the nose bleeding came back today. Did this happen with you? Again, thanks for your blog- I'm hoping I'm on the road to recovery!
ReplyDeleteI had pain and sinus pressure for awhile afterwards. I was taking pain medication to help for a few weeks after. I did have some bleeding but I think it was because I was nasal washing all the time; I figured it loosened up some clots and made it bleed again.
DeleteThank you so much! Your photos have helped me track my progress since Day 1. You look great by the way :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Your site helped me track my progress with your pics. I would have been so depressed having my nose this big and thinking it may be permanent :)
ReplyDeleteThese pictures look great! My younger sister is going to have to do it fairly soon, and she's extremely nervous. It's very encouraging to see a before/after like this, thanks!
ReplyDeleteJenn | http://davidgreenemd.com/septoplasty.html
Thanks for sharing your experience. It was good to read about what to expect. Your nose looks great!
ReplyDeleteI'm getting my septoplasty tomorrow and reading your blog was helpful. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteGetting septoplasty in a week. Thank you for your blog! Very inspirational.
ReplyDeleteErica, just a question... Did you also have your turbinates reduced?
ReplyDeleteDid you have a dry nose and for how long?
Thanks
I did have them reduced and my nose was dry for months! I think at least 3. :(
DeleteThank you Erica for giving me this valuable information. But now it feels fine? No need to always put any ointments or wash it with saline?
DeleteFor me this dryness and crusting is the must depressing thing. It's been only 2 months post op and I am still sitting on a humidifier day and night :(
It feels fine most of the time. It's been VERY cold and dry in Colorado and I scarily had 3 nose bleeds last week!! I picked up using the KY jelly and the saline spray and everything has been okay. I know how depressing it is. It's lame always being reminded of your nose. Time will pass and keep up with the treatments and soon it'll be okay. Best to you and happy holidays.
DeleteBTW just found our Rinaris Flax seed Oil spray works well for dryness. May be even better than Vaseline. Also based on what I read it aids in healing. So It helped me to go down to 1 saline rinse a day from 3. I will keep you posted if it will let me eliminate daily rinses. Also I think for nosebleeds this oil should also work.
DeleteOne more question Erica. After surgery, did your feel any changes in breathing? Like you no longer feel fresh air when you breath in? I mean that sensation of cool air passing through the nostrils? If yes how long did it take for you to get used to this new feeling? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Kirill,
DeleteI felt HUGE changes in my breathing! I still do. I just took a big inhalation of air and it almost feels like too much air going through my passageways. It does feel a little like "fresh air" on my problem side. It is a little colder and a little sharper than the normal side. So apparently for me, that feeling doesn't go away. It took about a year for me not to think about how it feels and I got used to it.
Have a great weekend,
Erica
Thank you Erica. This is what I also thought. I will have to get used to the new way of breathing so I finally stop paying attention to how I breathe :) Just need to pass the dryness issue first, but it is getting better so I guess your blog is pretty much the guide on how things should resolve with time...
ReplyDeleteIt's been a few weeks! I hope you're feeling much better than you were.
DeleteThis has been great. I had surgery Monday around noon and my hell came around 5am Tuesday morning. I was so stuffed up and in pain and I had an uncontrollable sneezing fit. So called my ENT (he gave me a cell number for emergencies) to tell him what was up and he said the blood was clotting in my nose and blocking drainage and to gently gently blow my nose, and then spray 2 sprays of afrin in each nostril. After getting out the clots it's much better. I went from having blood dripping every time I sprayed with saline to mostly mucus and saline. Like you I have a problem nostril, and like you it's the left one. My right one is already looking pretty swank from what I can see around the tube inside, but the left one is looking a little more yucky. Did you have your tubes/splints in at different depths? Because the one in my left is definitely closer to the edge than in my right. And of course they're stitched in (I noticed today.) Anyways, reading this has been reassuring. How you made it out driving after yours I don't know. I had my head in a bag and eyes closed the entire time I felt like I was going to be so sick. I am just getting a little stir crazy, so I'm thinking of dropping by my work Thursday to just let everyone see how incredibly painful and gross this is. Haha.
ReplyDeleteOh oh I forgot. My biggest thing, which you calmed me down on, was my eyes watering like crazy. It's like you said, worst hay fever ever. I feel the swelling just pushing the ducts and my eyes are just crying because the tears have no where else to go, not because of the pain or anything, I'm just leaking! Lol. Leaking all over. Also you said you hurt everywhere. Did you hurt in your back and chest like you'd been doing crunches for hours? And did your throat feel like the lymph nodes swelled up? My throat/neck feels so thick, I worried for a second I caught strep!
DeleteHi Ashley,
DeleteI had intended to drive but luckily my aunt came from a 100 miles away to help me out. I didn't realize what I was getting myself into when I had this surgery! I was so out of it and groggy.
My splints were stitched in as well and they felt HUGE. I'm not sure if they were at different lengths but I can remember them feeling really uncomfortable.
Yes I hurt everywhere! I had back spasms and my chest ached. It felt like I had worked out for a few hours and this was "the day after sore". I'm sorry to hear you're super achy too but it'll resolve soon!!
I'm glad that this blog was able to bring you a little less stress. There wasn't any informative blogs when I had this done and wanted to share everything I could. Heal up soon!!
Best,
Erica
Hi Erica! I've gotten my splints out and it was fantastic. So far it's been pretty much just as you've described. I have even discovered the weather forecasting nose aspect of it today. I've taken to carrying saline spray, qtips, jelly and a scarf everywhere. And thank goodness for my humidifier.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else reading this and wondering if they should do it... yes. Do it. I don't regret a thing.
Hi Erica,
ReplyDeleteFirstly your blog is great and you are helping so many people so thank you.
I have my septoplasty op in on May 10th and I have some questions to ask. Was your social life affected by the surgery ? I hoped to go on holidays in late July and I am bridesmaid for my brothers wedding in early September. Did you have to stop being active for a while and is 4 months post op gonna still be very obvious in pics ? Don't wanna wreck the wedding photos :)
Hi Annik,
DeleteMy social life was only affected for the first week when I was healing. Once I got the sutures and the plastic things taken out I was fine. In fact, I met my now husband 3 weeks after surgery with online dating! Your nose is going to look swollen, but by July and especially September you'll look great. :)
Best of luck with your surgery!
Thanks your blog has been the most informative item I've found on the internet. I'm on day 6 following my septoplasty and it's not been as easily as my surgeon told me it would. I now know though that what I'm going through isn't unusual so just got to get on with things. Thanks again, very helpful.
ReplyDeleteHey Erica! Your Progress is so amazing :).I have a septoplasty in two weeks as well! I know the recovery will be a dirge, but I know it'll be worth it.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have noticed is that your nasal tip looks ever-so-slightly wider/less refined after your procedure. Is this just me?
If I compare this picture:
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nFa7XjPl-sI/UFzb0SlhUTI/AAAAAAAAAaA/IQul-y6-PEc/s1600/Summer+2012+178.JPG
with this one:
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EYI7FIgOD3c/USbqsiBVnlI/AAAAAAAAAig/8NNesr4zzTg/s1600/Brewery+030111111.jpg
It seems that way. Is it just a case of different cameras/distance to the lens?
Hope you can reply :)
My nose tip definitely went down in size but comparing a before and a recent photo, I do have to say that it is slightly larger. Here is a photo from last month: http://imgur.com/a/B834g
ReplyDeleteI made sure to pose with another animal to get the same composition (haha not really).
I'm still really happy I got the procedure even if it did change a bit of my nose shape. I wish you luck with your surgery!!
Best,
Erica
Hi Erica, thanks for all of these articles. I am almost 2 months post septoplasmy and am feeling some regret as the tip of my nose has lost the shape it once had. My nose is larger and less defined than before. From your experience, do you think my nose will ever return to the old, smaller state? Is 2 months long enough to see realistic end results? Thank you so so much for your feedback!
ReplyDeleteMy nose never quite looked the same but it definitely did get smaller and yours should too over the next couple of months. Two months is nothing in times of healing. About 6 months out it should look about how it will be and by a year that's how it will look. Keep positive though! You've a few months to let it "settle". I'm sorry you're not into the shape of your nose!
DeleteI sometimes look in the mirror to this day and say, "meh". I think I was used to it for over 25 years then to change one of the major parts of my face is a little traumatic. I hope you at least your newly found breathing. Have a great holiday.
Best,
Erica
Thank you so much for your experience and documentation . While reading everything, ESPECIALLY when you documented something about more bruising on one side because they had to do MORE work on one side, I was like oh dear lord I can relate. My nose was extremely crooked, and the side of my face where I needed my nose back in place is so much more puffy than the other side. Your nose has settled so nicely and it seems to it your face very well. My nose... well my nostrils look really big but at least I can see them both. I am only one day and 10 hours out of surgery so I shouldn’t be worrying :( before, I could only see one nostril from the front of my face because of the wxtene deviation. Oh and girl I can also breathe now just like you right after surgery :] I couldn’t breathe through my right nostril and he opened up my sinuses and now I can. Although I’m not sure if this gets “rid” of my chronic sinusitis in that nostril, or if it just gets better ���� thanks for letting me ramble: happy holidays!
ReplyDeleteSorry I meant extreme deviation! *
DeleteThank you! I'm really happy to hear that this blogged helped. That's the reason why I created it is because when I went looking there was nothing quite as comprehensive. Just be sure to moisturize constantly and you'll heal up great. :)
DeleteBest,
Erica
Thanks for making this blog! I'm about to go in for a consultation about fixing my nose, which has one nostril that's WAY easier to breathe out of than the other. Appreciate you sharing your experience!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your insight on the septoplasty process! I really appreciate the info from someone's firsthand experience.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this blog. I’m in Day 1 post op and about 3 hours of sleep last night. Your blow by blow (I like my puns intended) of each night is very relieving for me. I truly thought I was just being a complete wus or that something was wrong. Time to find some good Netflix and knock down another Vicodin. — chris from Highlands Ranch
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for sharing your experience. Do you have any advise on face washing 1 week post op please?I had the splint removed today, nose has loads of surgical glue over it. Not sure how much I can wash the nose. Can I just use water as normal now? Tia :)
ReplyDeleteHi Tia,
DeleteI'm not a doctor but from my experience and from other past surgeries: as long as your incisions look healed up (no bleeding, oozing, open wounds), it should be okay to very gently wash your nose. No scrubbing or keeping it under the water too long. Be sure to keep using that nasal spray a ton too! I remember picking at the glue because I was SO annoyed with it.