i have a deviated septum which I treat two ways-with benadryl and OTC decongestants AND with my neti pot-washing out my sinuses helps. Never want to have surgery. My sister , the Pharmacist, has the same preopblem and agrees with me.

My daughter did...but I don't think it helped much.

I think I'm going to "have" to have the surgery...I can't take OTC decongestants and I think my eyeballs are just going to pop out of my head with pain. I had this for years, but it is just now catching up with me :o(

My husband had the surgery. He wasn't too happy to do it because he's a wuss, but I kept after him for years. I was hoping it would help his snoring (it didn't) but it has certainly helped his breathing. He was miserably congested after the surgery for several weeks and walking around saying he was worse than before, but after that he was breathing great and is very glad he had it done. I don't know why anyone would suffer for years as he did. Some of his problems after the surgery was caused by the fact that he waited so long and used inhalers for so many years that there was a need for major reconstruction work. Have it done, you will be glad you did! For those of you using OTC decongestants, I hope you're not using Afrin. My daughter was using that and when she went to the ENT, he thought she was sniffing coke. That was enough to scare her off of it!

DS had it. He was hit in the nose in high school. Had the surgery about a year later. His was bad, he swore he couldn't breathe with his mouth closed. He will tell you it sucked, and he isn't a complainer. I know it was better after the surgery, he could sleep with his mouth closed. I will have to ask him to see how he is now. Surgery was when he was 17, he just turned 28, so awhile ago.

I had the surgery quite a while ago and it really helped.
I had day stay surgery and it wasn't all that bad.
I insisted the doc use only a local anesthetic and I took some herbal medicine to reduce the post op swelling and bleeding.
Good luck.

My husband had the surgery too...He says it wasn't worth it, and he'd not have another one. (which can be common with scar tissue forming)

However, I think it did help. His "sinus" issues are much more cope-able post surgery..but I didn't go through the pain.

oh and snoring didn't change...he still snores..and should be using his Cpap...

I had it in 1986...never had any problems with the surgery or afterwards either

*sigh*...I'm thinking I have no other recourse but to have the surgery...I'm in such pain and it isn't going away this time. And...I can't get in to see the doctor until March 10 :o( I think my eyeballs and just gonna pop out and land on the floor...heck, I might feel better if they did :o)

I had the surgery in 1972. A plastic surgeon did it because I had a lump on my nose removed also. I could breathe through my nose for the first time ever. It was annoying afterwards because of the miles of packing inside the nostrils, but worth putting up with.

I had it done in 1986. (They didn't fix bumps on the noses anymore :( )

I used to have multiple sinus infections per month and I only get one on ocassion now. Well worth it in my opinion.

I've been told I should have the surgery because mine is deviated pretty badly. But my friend had the surgery after years of having only about 40% breathing capacity through his nose. Now he can breathe really well through his nose, but he gets what he calls "migraine nose aches" because he feels like cold air is blowing up his nose! He really regrets it and tells me I shouldn't do it, but I can see from these posts that some have had good success with the surgery.

That's interesting, Pickyshopper. I don't have a deviated septum, at least that I know of, but my nose is constantly stuffed. I bought some of those Breathe Right strips, and they did work, but I couldn't stand the feeling of all that air blowing up my nose. I know what your friend means!

I had the surgery in 1970. It was done by a plastic surgeon who shortened my long crooked nose. It was worth it for me cosmetically. My insurance paid for it because my septum was deviated.

MOST people have 'deviated septum'. Few need surgery for it.

I've had sinus surgery three times, at 10-year intervals. I think the last one IS the LAST one!

I have had it corrected twice. The first time was in conjunction with an arterial bleed, the second was due to face pain. Had it for YEARS and was mostly miserable. Surgery was uncomfortable and unpleasant, but completely resolved the pain issue after about six months, FWIW I have never noticed the difference in ability to breathe.
I would do it again if I had to.

I don't have any problem breathing...I have the face pain. I don't know what the doctor will recommend when I go to him. I know I have a deviated septum, but this might be something else...