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[Roundabout Lout]

I've never been able to breathe out of both nostrils, but never knew different and ignored it for a very long time (I'm now 21.) Someone had to tell me that I breathe through my mouth when I sleep.

A few weeks ago, an ear nose and throat specialist determined I have a dramatically deviated septum he had called "The deviated septum from hell", along with a sinus infection.

From the information he gave me, and what I gathered from a few google searches is that this has spawned somewhere around 15 or so symptoms such as sleep apnea, frequent sinus headaches, dehydration (40% comes in through air that your nose hydrates,) vocal fatigue (vocal folds also get dehydrated,) heart problems (I suffer occasional heart pain or angina,) lack of oxygen (breathing through your nose keeps air in your lungs longer so they extract more oxygen,) anxiety (because I'm always winded and/or light headed,) and excessive mucous (because the brain thinks I'm losing carbon dioxide too quickly, and this mucous further gets in the way of breathing properly.)

All this can lead to heart attacks (chance to die in my sleep when I'm most oxygen deprived,) and develop emphysema.

So now I'm finally scheduled for a septoplasty, but it's still 2 weeks away because the surgeon was on vacation or some crap, and now I'm feeling more miserable than ever due to stress piling up on top of everything. Now I want to do everything I can to alleviate this the best I can, and starting by picking up those strips you put across your nose to help sleep at night.

Has anyone else had similar sinus issues, resolved them, or is still dealing with them? What else can help?

[ChairmanPoo]

vasoconstrictors might help you. THe problem is that they tend to generate habit (not addiction proper, but they upset the vascular tone of the nose, so it autoclogs when you stop using them, if you reach that phase), but punctual use for one or two days should not be much of an issue. Talk to your ORL about it. He might provide you with a corticoid spray, too, which is a better option. Salt water might help you clean your nostrils, as well.

For the record, after surgery youŽll spend one or two weeks without being able to breate through your nose, or, for that matter, sneeze or blow it.

As a sidenote:  It's the first time I hear about a deviated septum (or sleep apnea, for that matter) as a cause for emphysema.

[Armok]

Never heard of this before, and I don't know much about this stuff, but the first, obvious thing that comes to mind is to sleep in warm, moist, high-oxygen air. This might eb hard to archive depending on climate thou.

[Roundabout Lout]

Hmm, vasoconstrictors, caffeine has some of that effect, so maybe I'll just settle for some coffee in the morning.

I'm trying out a couple other things starting today, like drinking a crapton more water, and starting a light workout routine, both of which seem to help some.

The ENT said recovery to the point I could breathe again would be around 5 days, but that It could still produce a bit of blood for up to two weeks. He did also mention though that they've recently changed what they shove up your nose to help the healing process. Used to be a spongy type material that would soak up a lot of blood, and be much harder to pull back out. Now, they'll be putting plastic splints held in by a stitch, so that might have to do with faster recovery.

I don't know about the emphysema either. That sorta came from a site with links to purchase home remedies, so that's to be taken with a grain o' salt.

Armok: Haha, fat chance, I live in New Jersey XD

[Psyco Jelly]

I also have a deviated septum, it's always given me problems, but I haven't had any surgery or anything yet. I use a pot of warm water mixed with baking soda and salt to clear up sinus infections. (Over a sink, you pour the mixture up one nostril and out the other.

[Idiom]

Never heard of this before either. Sounds like basically there's a bone/tissue ridge bowed out so far it's blocking a passageway? Hmm, Septoplasty surgery? Cool. Takes about 3 or more weeks to recover... wikipedia says look out for something called "empty nose syndrome".

[ChairmanPoo]

vasoconstrictors, caffeine has some of that effect, so maybe I'll just settle for some coffee in the morning.

Well, I actually meant vc sprays such as rhinospray and the like, but you should get some (very limited mileage out of caffeine)

Empty nose syndrome is more related to turbinate surgery, IIRC.

[Synzig]

Man.  I've been having the -same- problem as the TS for about.. a year?  I've just recently got on an insurance plan at work so now I'll be able to go to that first examination with a way to explain my problems without saying "My nose is always stuffy" and sounding like an ass.

Thanks, TS.  you've made my day.

[Roundabout Lout]

The surgery went very well, it all looks good, and I even got to utilize the new breathing capacity in one of the best naps I've ever taken.
Yeah, so the splints have been taken out now, but I can't blow my nose or let it get bumped by anything while it heals for another two weeks.
What are some effective ways of clearing out mucous without actually blowing?

[Helmaroc]

Article below claims peppermint and licorice teas help clear up your nose, as well as hot/spicy foods (but you'd probably end up with the same problem after the running stopped). Here's the full article. And recommend peppermint tea even if it doesn't have the nose-clearing qualities described here, it's delicious.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1781554/ways_to_clear_a_stuffed_nose_without.html

[Wiles]

When I was a wee lad my grandma would make me smell vicks vaporub to clear out my stuffed up nose. It was effective in turning a stuffed nose into a runny nose.

[ChairmanPoo]

What are some effective ways of clearing out mucous without actually blowing?

The ORL can get the mucus out with an aspirator. That aside, he will likely tell you when you can start using alternate methods of blowing your nose, too, but I dont think you're supposed to do even that during the first days.

[Grakelin]

My nose has been stuffy for a few days, and I find that any sort of tea will clear it up pretty fast. Go for lighter kinds, like the aforementioned peppermint, or lemon, summer berry, etc.

[Noble Digger]

Same symptoms here, plus I smoke which exacerbates the dry, clogged sinus conditions. My right nostril plugs up within minutes of laying down horizontally and it can happen during the day if I forget to take deep breaths through my nose. I think in my case the cause is habitual and not due to a misshapen septum (for a long time, out in public, I slouched in my chair and took short, faint breaths so my big gut wouldn't stick out. I've lost 60lbs since then but the habit remains) and if it happens during the day, I can unclog it by sitting up straight and taking thick, deep breaths through my nose for a few minutes. The right one won't unclog until this breathing exercise dries out some of the excess mucous. If it gets particularly bad I like to take a hot shower and breathe through my nose, this fixes me up and leaves my respiratory tract feeling wide open and refreshed for hours.

As additional help for you, In combating this condition I studied about hydration and mucous membranes and how the body's water balance and the diffusion gradient are used to remove toxins from the blood, lungs, and mucosa. Basically, drinking a big glass of water very quickly can cause a rapid rehydration of the mucosa if they are dried out, as the water is absorbed and travels throughout the body, sweats out through the membranes, etc.  This can loosen all the junk that can stick around up in the sinuses. Water naturally travels from where its concentration in a solution is high to where its concentration in a solution is lower. When you are dehydrated, the mucosa and other body parts which lose water constantly as a part of the natural water cycle, will dry out first and worst. In the case of drinking water you rehydrate them from the inside, in the case of taking a hot steamy shower, you rehydrate them from the exterior.

Hope some of this is useful to you.

[Roundabout Lout]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I've gotten through the worst of recovery. Now I'm able to breathe better and better every passing day. 
Things are still dry and healing, but it only takes a saline rinse to moisturize and clear things up. The septum is still a little inflamed and tender, but that will clear up in a couple more weeks.

I feel better than I have in quite a long time now, with the anxiety beginning to lessen, energy coming back to me, and much better sleep.