# Lifestyles & Discussion > Personal Health & Well-Being >  Has anyone had sinus surgery?

## RCA

And was it worth it? I've had allergies since I was a kid and sinus infections for over 10 years.

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## bobbyw24

> And was it worth it? I've had allergies since I was a kid and sinus infections for over 10 years.


He says it works.

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http://www.scharermd.com/page2.html

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## dannno

Have you used a neti-pot??

That thing does wonders and it's only like a $10 or $15 investment... I surf, and if you know the typical stereotype for surfers is to have that super nasaly california accent.. well, that is because surfing causes sinusitis.  The neti-pot has not only helped prevent this problem from occurring, but it has helped reverse what damage had been done and it helps my allergies quite a bit.. and i only use it after surfing, not on a regular basis.. but it definitely helps prevent infections and really helps leave your sinuses clean and clear and breathable.


YouTube - best barrels ever get Huntington surfer pitted

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## dannno

So you get one of these neti pots:



Then you fill it with a packet of salt that usually comes with it and warm water (the warmer the better, as long as it doesn't burn your nose!!) and make a saline solution..


Then you rinse your sinuses out and you will end up with ultra clear nasal passages:




You will feel like a million bucks afterwards..

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## RCA

I've never tried a neti pot, but I've tried the "Sinus Rinse" and it didn't do much for me.

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## DamianTV

I got punched in the face and had a bloody nose once, does that count?

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## KCIndy

RCA, I can sure sympathize, I've had the same problem for decades!   

I've always had  constant, unceasing sinus inflammation/irritation.  I've had ear/nose/throat docs recommend surgery to me (long story) but so far I've really not liked the idea.  I've heard too many horror stories.

Have you ever tried Afrin nasal spray?  That's the only thing I've found that actually works for me.

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## RCA

> RCA, I can sure sympathize, I've had the same problem for decades!   
> 
> I've always had  constant, unceasing sinus inflammation/irritation.  I've had ear/nose/throat docs recommend surgery to me (long story) but so far I've really not liked the idea.  I've heard too many horror stories.
> 
> Have you ever tried Afrin nasal spray?  That's the only thing I've found that actually works for me.


Yes, but you can only use it for like 2 weeks at a time or you become addicted. I have some luck with the generic form of Zyrtec from Sam's. They come in huge bottles of like a million.

Also, I bought a neti pot yesterday along with my first bottle of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. I'm hoping that those will help with my condition. I really don't like the idea of surgery. During the last 2 years, I haven't been able to smell anything! I'm considering acupuncture to help with this.

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## dannno

> I've never tried a neti pot, but I've tried the "Sinus Rinse" and it didn't do much for me.


Haven't done the sinus rinse, I'd recommend the neti-pot tho.. when you sinus rinse, does the water go in one nostrel and out the other?

I can't possibly imagine how the neti-pot wouldn't help someone with sinus issues.. after i use the neti-pot when they're all clogged up from surfing with (sometimes) nasty polluted ocean water it feels like I don't even have sinuses after.. I breathe better than I have in my entire life, I've always had allergies and such..

A lot of other surfers and others swear by the neti-pot, I've never heard anybody swear by a sinus rinse.. maybe somebody who is all into the AMA or something and doesn't believe in natural gravitational push..

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## RCA

> Haven't done the sinus rinse, I'd recommend the neti-pot tho.. when you sinus rinse, does the water go in one nostrel and out the other?
> 
> I can't possibly imagine how the neti-pot wouldn't help someone with sinus issues.. after i use the neti-pot when they're all clogged up from surfing with (sometimes) nasty polluted ocean water it feels like I don't even have sinuses after.. I breathe better than I have in my entire life, I've always had allergies and such..
> 
> A lot of other surfers and others swear by the neti-pot, I've never heard anybody swear by a sinus rinse.. maybe somebody who is all into the AMA or something and doesn't believe in natural gravitational push..


Yes it goes in one and out the other, but it's a really small bottle so not much goes up and down unless you refill it many times over.

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## Mcguffey

I had deviated septum surgery back in '99. It's not really too bad.

The only advice I have is that if they give you a nasal spray (can't recall the name, but it's a mild steroid to help open the passages), be sure to use it diligently. It helps keep the passages as wide as possible when they heal.

It's hard to use since your nose will be sensitive and full of scabbing and other craziness, but be sure to do it.

Good luck.

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## KCIndy

> Yes, but you can only use it for like 2 weeks at a time or you become addicted.


I haven't heard of any addiction problem, but I know for a fact that using the stuff more than twice a week will have a contra indicative effect; when I first started using Afrin I "shot up" three days in a row and on that third time - POW!!  My sinuses felt like they had been packed solid with dry dusty concrete.  I've rarely been so miserable.

I've tried using the Neti pot but I can't get the water to go in one nostril and out the other, no matter how much I try.  (yeah, I know - gross!)  I've had a broken nose in the past, so I imagine that has something to do with it.

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## RCA

> I had deviated septum surgery back in '99. It's not really too bad.
> 
> The only advice I have is that if they give you a nasal spray (can't recall the name, but it's a mild steroid to help open the passages), be sure to use it diligently. It helps keep the passages as wide as possible when they heal.
> 
> It's hard to use since your nose will be sensitive and full of scabbing and other craziness, but be sure to do it.
> 
> Good luck.


Did the surgery help at all? Was that the only surgery or did you have other sinus defects?

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## madengr

> So you get one of these neti pots:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You will feel like a million bucks afterwards..


They do work great, but that smile on the face from briny water going up your nose is horse$#@!.

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## RCA

> I had deviated septum surgery back in '99. It's not really too bad.
> 
> The only advice I have is that if they give you a nasal spray (can't recall the name, but it's a mild steroid to help open the passages), be sure to use it diligently. It helps keep the passages as wide as possible when they heal.
> 
> It's hard to use since your nose will be sensitive and full of scabbing and other craziness, but be sure to do it.
> 
> Good luck.


I'm having surgery on September 1st! I'm having a deviated septum corrected as well as standard sinus passage enlargement and cleaning. I'm actually really excited about it. I'm having it done at Mayo, so I'll be in good hands. This has been 33 years in the making.

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## Todd

> And was it worth it? I've had allergies since I was a kid and sinus infections for over 10 years.


If  you're talking a Septoplasty, I had that 4 years ago.  It worked for being able to breathe easier for me because I had a deviated septum and problems with allergies too.

don't get too excited.  They stuff your sinus with about a foot of gauze and you feel like your head is a balloon.  The next day they remove it and it's like an anvil was taken off your head.  That was the worst part for me....the pressure from the packing.

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## RCA

> If  you're talking a Septoplasty, I had that 4 years ago.  It worked for being able to breathe easier for me because I had a deviated septum and problems with allergies too.
> 
> don't get too excited.  They stuff your sinus with about a foot of gauze and you feel like your head is a balloon.  The next day they remove it and it's like an anvil was taken off your head.  That was the worst part for me....the pressure from the packing.


I'm having endoscopic surgery, and I've read that the post-op is the worst part.

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## RCA

Well, my surgery went well yesterday. It took 3.5 hours (estimated at 2 hours) because they found more polyps than the CT scan showed. It then took me another 3.5 hours to recover before they let me go home. I was really, really nauseous when I woke up. I'm feeling pretty decent now, but I can't wait to get this packing removed at 2:00 today. Ugh.

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## KCIndy

Wow!

Makes me a little nauseous just thinking about all that packing!    Best of luck to you; be sure to let us know how things go!

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## Todd

> Well, my surgery went well yesterday. It took 3.5 hours (estimated at 2 hours) because they found more polyps than the CT scan showed. It then took me another 3.5 hours to recover before they let me go home. I was really, really nauseous when I woke up. I'm feeling pretty decent now, but I can't wait to get this packing removed at 2:00 today. Ugh.


Glad it'll be over

Watch out for drainage.  ooooo

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## sratiug

I can't believe I missed this thread.  I highly recommend books by F. Batmanghelidj.http://watercure.com/  His research and treatment results show that allergies, asthma, and sinus problems are caused by dehydration and lack of salt.

Histamine is a drought response used to force water into vital areas of the body such as the brain, lungs, and sinus passages.  Histamine also produces pain.  Many painkillers are anti-histamines.  But the real anti-histamine is water + salt, which removes the body's need to produce histamine in the first place.

This man has done extensive research beginning inside the Iranian hostage crisis of 79 where he cured dozens of hostages of digestion problems with this simple prescription and went on to do more research into why so many people are dehydrated and the multitudes of problems it causes.  He is not selling products other than his books.  He shows the direct links between most degenerative diseases and dehydration, from high blood pressure to asthma to type II diabetes and on and on.

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## RCA

> Wow!
> 
> Makes me a little nauseous just thinking about all that packing!    Best of luck to you; be sure to let us know how things go!


I just got back. The packing removal only took 1-2 seconds each nostril.  The packing was only about 2 inches long on each side and felt really weird, but not much pain since it was so quick. The rest of the packing is higher up and is the dissolvable kind.

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## RCA

> I can't believe I missed this thread.  I highly recommend books by F. Batmanghelidj.http://watercure.com/  His research and treatment results show that allergies, asthma, and sinus problems are caused by dehydration and lack of salt.
> 
> Histamine is a drought response used to force water into vital areas of the body such as the brain, lungs, and sinus passages.  Histamine also produces pain.  Many painkillers are anti-histamines.  But the real anti-histamine is water + salt, which removes the body's need to produce histamine in the first place.
> 
> This man has done extensive research beginning inside the Iranian hostage crisis of 79 where he cured dozens of hostages of digestion problems with this simple prescription and went on to do more research into why so many people are dehydrated and the multitudes of problems it causes.  He is not selling products other than his books.  He shows the direct links between most degenerative diseases and dehydration, from high blood pressure to asthma to type II diabetes and on and on.


I've got this book, and it's on my reading list.

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## RCA

> Glad it'll be over
> 
> Watch out for drainage.  ooooo


Nothing bad so far. I've only had drainage coming from my left nostril which is where the septum was straightened. This is also the side where I've had moderate shooting pain and soreness. I've managed to not take a pain pill yet. The pain hasn't gotten bad enough to risk dealing with the side effects of the pain medicine, if there are any.

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## Working Poor

> the real anti-histamine is water + salt, which removes the body's need to produce histamine in the first place.


Pure salt can heal so many things any survivalist needs to have the best salt they can afford. Salt used to be used as money and the way things are going it could be again.
The best salt in the world is Himalayan Salt. This salt is da BOMB! I love it it is very pure I highly recomend it to anyone who wants to improve and/or maintain their good health.
here is a link to the only place I know where to get it it has a great explantory video with it too:

 Himalayan Salt

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## RCA

> Pure salt can heal so many things any survivalist needs to have the best salt they can afford. Salt used to be used as money and the way things are going it could be again.
> The best salt in the world is Himalayan Salt. This salt is da BOMB! I love it it is very pure I highly recomend it to anyone who wants to improve and/or maintain their good health.
> here is a link to the only place I know where to get it it has a great explantory video with it too:
> 
>  Himalayan Salt


Cool video, but she did say "homeopathic amounts":

YouTube - James Randi explains homeopathy

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