Posts by Jesse Sanchez90

Douglas Cruz9 said:It was just one of those days—sweltering heat, humid air, and I definitely overdressed for the weather. Toss in some sleep deprivation and dehydration, and honestly, that’s probably the perfect storm for why I wiped out. A few people have already suggested the same thing you did regarding my leg, and I really hope that’s all there is to it. I have to admit, though, I got a little spooked when I couldn't find much info online about that "sleeping leg" sensation, so I’m still feeling a bit uneasy about the whole situation. Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly!

No, that isn't quite what we're talking about here:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/huma...uestion552.htm

Honestly, try it yourself: just squat down and hold it for a while. When you finally stand up, you'll get that weird, tingling sensation where your leg feels like it doesn't even belong to you.
What's happening is you're either compressing a blood vessel or pinching a nerve; there's absolutely no way your central nervous system actually "falls asleep" or cuts off communication entirely.

Douglas Cruz9 said:I might have gone a little overboard with my workouts this weekend (though I doubt that’s what triggered this weird occurrence), but on Sunday afternoon, I was standing for about half an hour during a church service when I suddenly found myself on the floor. It was sweltering and stuffy in there, and I just collapsed—everything went black for a split second. As soon as I started coming to, someone was helping me up, and then something happened that I’ve honestly never heard of before: I completely lost control of my right leg. I couldn't move it at all; it was like I had zero muscle control. It only lasted a few seconds before feeling normal again, though it hurt pretty badly because of how I landed. I ended up falling directly onto my leg, pinning it underneath me in a really awkward position.
Then came this wave of pure panic that it would happen again, because if I lose control of that leg, I'm going back down to the floor. It hasn't happened again yesterday or today, so my best guess is that between the fall and maybe bumping my head lightly against a pew, I just pinched a nerve in my lower back.
Generally speaking, I'm in great shape—I stay active with running, cycling, and hiking.
Has anyone ever dealt with something like this? Any advice for my crazy situation? I feel fine right now (aside from some lingering soreness in that leg), so I haven't really thought about heading to the doctor with such a wild story.

When you pass out due to low blood pressure or a lack of oxygen and land on that leg, you probably twisted it while you were unconscious. You likely compressed the main blood vessels, meaning not enough blood was reaching the limb. When you're conscious, that usually starts as tingling, but if it lasts longer, it feels like the leg doesn't even belong to you—you can't make it do anything until the circulation returns to normal.

In principle, the bigger issue here is figuring out why you fainted in the first place.

Megan Wright39 said:Hey $200Rachel Martinez94, I'll try my best to get those photos over to you as soon as possible! Regarding the cost, Smith is charging about $2,200. He’s also pretty strict about requiring a full workup—not just standard bloodwork, but testing for hepatitis and all that other stuff too. Personally, I opted to pay out-of-pocket at a private clinic he recommended because I honestly didn't have the patience to deal with the endless runaround at the public hospitals for a whole month.

That's actually unnecessary—you can get everything done for free at the local Counseling Centers and testing sites run by the Department of Public Health. The government covers the cost as part of their preventative care programs.

Kate Lee43 said:So, are you actually suggesting that if someone has never had breathing issues or any functional problems with their nose, they aren't allowed to get a rhinoplasty just for purely aesthetic reasons?!
I really don't get why you're saying no.
I personally know people who went through with the surgery and have absolutely zero issues afterward—even though they didn't have any issues before they started.
It’s the same logic as breast augmentation; it's not about "function," it's about how someone wants to look, and plenty of people choose that path for purely cosmetic reasons.

If we're going to go by your flawed interpretation, I could argue just about anything—but I'm not interested in getting defensive or getting into a heated argument over such an aggressive tone. Instead, I’ll just point you back to my previous post and let you sit with it.
Taking some time for self-reflection is always a highly valued process.

Kate Lee43 said:You can't judge how well a nose functions just by looking at its size. Mine is actually larger, yet it doesn't work well at all, whereas a friend of mine has a tiny, narrow nose but breathes perfectly fine.
I agree that Blanche's nose isn't ideal—it definitely could have been better—but you can't immediately assume she's having trouble breathing because of it. And honestly, I'll say it again: Blanche looks a hundred times better now than she did before. Like I’ve mentioned previously, I know plenty of people who've had rhinoplasty purely for cosmetic reasons. They didn't have any issues with a deviated septum, sinus inflammation, or difficulty breathing; they just wanted to look better, and their breathing stayed great.
People dealing with actual functional issues view this surgery very differently, and in my opinion, it's essential that they see an ENT specialist first.

You're mixing up your terms here—a nose isn't positioned on a face just for aesthetics; its primary job is function. Because of that, anything you adjust on it directly impacts how it works. How successful a procedure is really comes down to how much the surgeon understands both anatomy and the physiology of respiration, along with pathological disorders. Aside from an ENT, no other specialty dives that deeply into those specific questions. Anything else is just a "hit and run" approach.

rustygardener172 said:It’s not an incorrect conclusion... you wrote that tampons need to stay in the nose for five days to keep the septum properly aligned. In my case, they were only in for one day and everything stayed perfectly in place.
So, if the doctor does their job right, it doesn't really matter how long those tampons are in there. If the surgeon messes up the alignment, you could leave them in for ten days and it wouldn't make a bit of difference...
...which just goes back to my point that those tampons don't actually play a massive role in whether the surgery is successful or not.

Come on, take a second to actually re-read what I wrote—no amount of packing is going to fix a septum that was incorrectly resected in the first place.
Those tampons definitely serve a purpose, regardless of how certain you feel about the opposite.
Cheers!

Jamie Fowler26 said:Regarding that hole left behind from my septoplasty... my doctor says it's totally normal, but if it ends up being annoying, I might have to get it patched up with some kind of button or plastic insert.🙄

Has anyone else ended up with a hole after their septum surgery??

I have to disagree that it's "normal"—it really disrupts your airflow.
A plastic implant is necessary.

rustygardener172 said:After my first nose job, which was just for a deviated septum and done through Medicare, they kept the tampons in me for four whole days...
...but my breathing didn't actually get better... the deviation was still there... the headaches happened less often, but they didn't go away... and my nose ended up looking crooked...
Then, for my second surgery—this time doing both the septum and the aesthetics because I really wanted to fix the shape privately—they only kept the tampons in for one day...
...and now, the deviation is totally gone... no more headaches (except for when I have a hangover 😁), and I can breathe like a total champ!!

So, honestly... it feels like there isn't any real rule when it comes to those tampons...

I think we might be jumping to the wrong conclusion here—it’s not the tampons that fix the septum and the nose, it’s probably the actual surgery, right?

Rachel Martinez94 said:Yeah, it’s purely about the aesthetics for me—which is why I can't see myself going through with it at the public hospital. Glumičić is just way too expensive, and with Tončić, he started turning me away because he doesn't actually see the specific thing on my nose that bothers me. It makes me worried that if we aren't seeing eye-to-eye, the result won't turn out how I want.

Look, if you've decided you're ready to pull the trigger and spend the money, almost all those ENT specialists work privately too.
And honestly? If he doesn't see what you see... you can't force it. If you aren't on the same page about the goal, you're likely going to end up unhappy with the outcome since you two just aren't communicating properly.

Rachel Martinez94 said:Since you always seem to be so well-informed, I was wondering—who would you recommend I see if I want to get my nose fixed?
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/16/nosicz.jpg/

I actually went to see Dr. Tončić, but he told me he wouldn't touch it because any changes would only result in a minimal improvement. Now I'm thinking about seeing Dr. Glumičić instead, since I have to go through a private specialist anyway—I don't have any coverage through Medicare to handle surgery right now.

Since I'm currently doing my residency, I've decided to follow the path of the Vineyard School for my future career—so, if I were you, I'd suggest heading to the hospital. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, Professor Bedeković is probably the one who pays the most attention to detail.

Dr. Tončić is an ENT by training and a graduate of the Vineyard School. On the other hand, Dr. Glumičić isn't an ENT at all; he's a plastic surgeon who has a really deep understanding of how the nose functions both as an aesthetic feature and a vital breathing unit.

What exactly is the main motivation here? Is it mostly just dissatisfaction with how it looks?

boldfalcon82 said:Hey everyone!

I'm really struggling with the question I posted above...

I've been coughing for three weeks now—sometimes it's dry, sometimes it's productive—but I don't have a fever, and my chest and throat don't hurt, it's just that my nose won't stop running like crazy!
My family is honestly fed up with hearing me cough, so they went out and bought me some heavy-duty syrup—Panatone Forte. The pharmacist told them it was the absolute strongest, best, most effective option, specifically for a dry cough.
But my cough isn't dry!! Not even close!
Still, it didn't matter... I ended up having to take it even though I fought it with everything I had.

And now, my head is pounding.

What I want to know is how this is going to affect my cough and if it might actually make things worse? 🤷

I seriously don't want to take this stuff anymore!!!

No!
The issue here isn't necessarily pneumonia; rather, your cough is actually a defense mechanism working to prevent mucus from clogging your main airways (let's keep it simple).

Before we even talk about suppressing the cough, there's a bigger question: why is your nose running? 🤔
Are you dealing with a common cold? Sinus issues? What kind of drainage are we talking about? What does it look like? How long has this been going on?
Do you have allergies, or do you suffer from chronic rhinosinusitis?

Here's the thing: if you suppress the central cough reflex in your medulla oblongata, you'll end up with mucus draining down into your lower respiratory tract without your body's natural defense system being able to react. Once the dose wears off, the opposite will happen—everything that trickled down will trigger an even more intense, irritating cough than what you're feeling right now.

You should try something designed for a "productive" cough to help break up that stubborn mucus—something like Mucinex, which you can find easily at any pharmacy.

Rebecca Gomez37 said:A few years back, I went to see Dr. Davor Dzepina at the downtown clinic because my voice had completely given out, and he told me the exact same thing you did.
He even mentioned back then that he wouldn't recommend taking
patients from Dr. Boduen's care just to fix something that isn't right, especially since I'm one of his patients...
It’s basically an unwritten rule among colleagues.

Dr. Džepina is a wonderful plastic surgeon for noses and a great ultrasound specialist, but he doesn't really have experience dealing with LPR or how nasal functions tie into secondary issues that manifest there.
In my daily practice, I see a massive influx of patients in my clinic suffering from LPR—people who eventually come back happy after undergoing a fairly lengthy treatment plan, usually lasting about two months.
That said, I never tell them they're "cured" right away; that's just the beginning. Anyone dealing with reflux absolutely needs to see a gastroenterologist, overhaul their diet, stop eating two or three hours before bed, and perhaps slightly elevate their head if they're dealing with a hiatal hernia or a weak lower esophageal sphincter that fails to prevent acid from splashing up the esophagus and everywhere else.

Using IPP is considered the gold standard in this field today, but it took quite a while for the theory to actually become clinical reality. It’s not as simple as people think—it's not like pharmaceutical companies just dream something up and doctors immediately start implementing it. It required a mountain of research and hands-on experience before we could confidently tackle this specific issue.

It isn't just about some unwritten rule; if you think about it logically, Professor Baudoin has already stepped in, and now a second doctor is getting tangled up in the mess. Would you really want to step into a situation after someone else has already made a mess of it?
On the other hand, when things get complicated at one facility, it's perfectly reasonable to seek a more relevant second opinion. After all, a major metropolitan hospital doesn't see every single patient in the country. In our clinics—whether general or specialized—we handle a turnover of about 250 patients a day.

Rebecca Gomez37 said:Thanks for the reply!
I’m going to follow that advice because I honestly can't take this anymore—I can't smell a thing, and every time I eat, I’m struggling just to catch my breath... It's awful!!!
When he first admitted me to the hospital, he actually asked me, "Is it really possible that you're so congested you can't breathe through your nose at all?"
Even he looked genuinely shocked.
My doctor told me that my case was so unique there wasn't much left to try locally, so she referred me to him. For what it's worth, I take Vitamin C + Zinc every single day. I try to eat healthy, stay active, and I don't smoke... But this is just miserable. I frequently lose my voice altogether....

It's definitely possible... Though, if breathing is your main concern right now, seeing Dr. Grgić might actually get you in for surgery sooner since he uses the same operative technique. His scheduling process isn't nearly as complicated to navigate.

That shouldn't have anything to do with it. Just go back.
As for the voice issues, that could be a symptom of what they call laryngopharyngeal reflux—basically, stomach acid creeping up and irritating the throat lining. That usually shows up as slight hoarseness, trouble talking for long periods without your voice cracking, or that constant feeling of phlegm or something stuck in your throat.
That’s another reason why Prof. Baudoin is considered such an authority in our field here. 😉

Rebecca Gomez37 said:How should I reach out to him? What’s the standard procedure? I'm coming from Miami, and last time Dr. Roje contacted him directly and just gave me the appointment time—he already had everything handled. I made sure to bring all my previous test results with me... Now, should I go get a CT scan first and bring it to him, or should I just request a follow-up based on my old discharge papers? It’s a huge hassle to drive all the way from Miami only to have him tell me, "Oh, come back in two weeks once you have those specific results." I feel like my case is pretty complicated since I'm dealing with both allergies and bronchial asthma. I've cycled through Floxinase, Nasonex, Tafen, and now Avamys. Also, why are we even bringing up septorhinoplasty if my deviation feels fine right now?
One more thing—is it possible to slightly narrow the tip of my nose during the FESS? It's a bit bulbous; even prof. Baudoin mentioned it without me even asking, haha!

That was just a quick tip. This time, here is how it works: call the main desk at the General Outpatient Clinic, and they will give you the number for the lady at the Hearing and Balance Center. You can reach her between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM; she manages the professor's pre-registration records. Just tell them you were previously his patient and underwent surgery with him—and that should do it.
You'll probably need to be a little patient, but if you've made it this far, you can definitely handle this final stretch.
By the way, he also sees patients privately outside of the hospital setting, though you know that won't be covered by the Social Security Administration—at least not regarding the consultation fees.

As for your other questions—it would be a good idea to get a CT scan of your paranasal sinuses. And honestly, those comorbidities you mentioned make you a perfect candidate for prof. Baudoin, since that's his specialty and he deals with allergies himself. 😉

I'm not suggesting septorhinoplasty—I'm just wondering what was actually achieved if you still couldn't breathe properly after the initial surgery.
Or perhaps it's because, despite the septum being straightened, you already had polyps present, which might be the real reason you can't tell if the septoplasty actually worked. You know what I mean?

It's possible, but it has to be done in moderation. The real question is the extent of the procedure and whatever the professor prefers at the time of the operation.

Megan Moore76 said:Good grief, how exactly do you think you can "copy" a nose? Are you planning to call Ecija Ojdanić into the clinic just to measure yours?🤣
Look, you can't actually "copy" a nose—I think you probably realize that already. The whole point of bringing a photo is just to give the doctor a general idea of what you're aiming for.🙂 A picture really does speak louder than words sometimes, especially since it can be so tricky to explain exactly what kind of look you want. Without a visual, there’s a much higher chance of a misunderstanding between the doctor and the patient.

So, why even bring a photo?
Sorry, but I’m just trying to warn you here: if you don't have the underlying anatomy to support the look you're after, you won't be able to achieve it surgically. After a while, your body will just do its own thing, and the result you wanted simply won't happen.

Rebecca Gomez37 said:I had surgery with prof. Baudoin way back in 2004, and my CT scan at the time was pretty terrible. He performed a FESS procedure, and he mentioned I had a deviated septum too, but explained we couldn't tackle both the polyps and the deviation in a single surgery. He is such a wonderful man—truly a 5-star doctor! But even after six months, I found myself unable to breathe properly again. Six years later, I went to Miami to have the deviation fixed by Dr. Racic, but honestly, I still can't breathe through my nose at all, and it’s driving me crazy. I recently had an endoscopic sinus exam, and the results showed plenty of polyps again...
I'm about to lose my mind. I just bought some Jozing herbal drops to try out, though I'm skeptical. Currently, I'm using saline rinses for hygiene and Avamys... I've also taken Singulair.
Do you have any advice? My ENT, Dr. Roje from Miami, who works closely with him, referred me to Vinogradski back then.

To be honest, the situation is quite straightforward—the problem has just resurfaced. You're struggling to breathe because the polyposis came back, and the thing is, they are incredibly difficult to get rid of entirely. You can never be 100% sure if they'll pop up again in a year, five years, or ten.

As for why you couldn't breathe after your septum surgery, it's hard for me to say for sure since I don't know if you were already dealing with polyps at that time.

Polyps can sometimes be managed or shrunk down using a combination of intranasal corticosteroids and/or a short course of oral steroids, but the only way to actually remove them completely is through surgery.

Those herbal drops won't save you; they'll just lighten your wallet. As I mentioned before, Avamys helps, and Singulair is useful if your allergy symptoms are severe enough that Avamys alone can't handle them.

If I were you, I'd reach out to prof. Baudoin again. It is actually very common for polyps to recur. Medical techniques have come a long way since you were last treated, and nowadays, surgeons can perform both FESS and septoplasty in one single session. For instance, Dr. Grgić is also highly skilled with FESS procedures.
Prof. Baudoin will be holding his next clinic starting January 26th.

Grace Gonzalez88 said:I made it through too! I actually had my nose surgery yesterday morning at 9 AM with Dr. Ostojić, and honestly, I am beyond thrilled with how everything went. He is such a wonderful, warm person with his patients, and the nurses were absolute angels—they practically pampered me after the procedure. Most importantly, I’m not in any pain at all! I already took the Tampons out today, and it wasn't nearly as painful as some people on here have described. I didn't feel dizzy or nauseous either; I just dozed off at the clinic until 4 PM and then headed home. He prescribed some Ketorol just in case I needed it for pain, but I haven't needed it yet. The only uncomfortable part was those first 24 hours with the Tampons in my nose because I felt like I couldn't catch my breath for a second. I have no idea what my nose looks like under all these bandages right now—all I've been doing is smoothing out little bumps. Anyway, if any of this helps you decide on surgery, just give Dr. Ostojić a call and book your appointment today! 😍☕😂

Usually, the Tampons stay in for about five days, or you might have splints, but something definitely has to be there to keep the septum in place.

Megan Moore76 said:I have to say, I am absolutely obsessed with Ecija Ojdanić's nose. You can see it every night on Larina's choice! 😁 Glumičić did an absolutely stunning job! I'll probably carry around a photo of her to show my surgeon exactly what kind of look I'm going for.
...though I always end up feeling disappointed when I see the nose of that other actress (the redhead) in the same series. Her nose looks way too short, so it looks really strange. You probably know who I mean, I won't mention her name 🙂 but hey, maybe that's just the look she wanted. 🤷

I think you're looking at this the wrong way. A nose should be tailored to your own face—your unique facial structure is yours alone. Anything that tries to "copy and paste" someone else's look usually ends up turning out poorly.

Amy Williams59 said:I’ve actually been under the knife with him once before, and honestly? I wouldn't go through that experience again if you paid me.

I was honestly left in shock by how "impressed" everyone seemed to be with his work and his sudden appearance on this thread. Personally? I wasn't impressed in the slightest. Not even a little bit. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't recommend him to anyone.

That’s just how I see things.🙂

Betty Edwards22 Thanks so much for the advice! I’m definitely going to give it some serious thought. My husband has actually been nudging me to head over to Washington, D.C., to check things out, but I think I'll sleep on it a little longer before making any big moves.😉

Prof. Bedeković is held in incredibly high regard here in San Francisco circles, especially since he actually did his training over in the States. Honestly, every single time I sit in on one of his assistant sessions, I walk away just completely blown away by his technique. He’s truly a master at what he does. However, there is one catch: he strictly performs open septorhinoplasties. That’s it. Period.

Jesse Adams47 said:Hey there, Andrew Booth14 🙂 !

If I'm reading you correctly, you're seeing a really distinct line between the bony part and the cartilaginous part of your nose?

I'm in the exact same boat (along with a bunch of other nose struggles!), and Zambelli noticed it the second he laid eyes on me. He mentioned that the cartilage portion needs to be widened to blend smoothly with the bony bridge. That was really just the start of our consultations—he was incredibly attentive and took the time to walk me through everything that needs to be done. As far as Zambelli goes, he left me with the impression of being a truly professional, serious surgeon, and I'm actually leaning toward having my revision done by him. The price is around $2,400.

Besides seeing Z., I also had consultations with Professor Uglešić and Dr. Bastajić. Bastajić doesn't show any before-and-after photos 🤷 , and he suggested using a closed technique for the surgery (which I'm not sure is the best move when you're trying to "upgrade" an existing nose). People speak very highly of Uglešić, though—he told me he would only address certain parts of my issues. For instance, regarding widening that cartilage area, he basically said he wouldn't do it because it's a "total headache."

The most important thing to keep in mind is that there’s always a recovery period following surgery. You really have to give the body some time to show how the tissue is healing from the trauma of the procedure itself.

Out of all the options we've talked about, I’d really suggest giving an ENT some serious thought. While plastic surgery is great at tackling the aesthetic side of things, it doesn't always address the functional issues. Because of that, they often lack the full, integrated perspective needed to see how everything works together.

Take Professor Uglešić, for example—he’s honestly fantastic, but when you get into the maxillofacial specifics, he’ll likely tell you straight up that noses aren't really his specialty. I actually went to see him back when I was still a student for an open septorhinoplasty (which is exactly what you're looking into), and to be honest, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I never actually fixed the septum issue—it ended up curving right back—and my nose still isn't straight because of how the septum shifted. On top of that, there's this visible ridge of cartilage sticking out on the outside.

Open technique is such a game-changer because it gives you a direct look at exactly what’s going on—it’s like having everything laid out right there in front of you on a silver platter.
If you’re looking for a specialist, you really can’t go wrong with Dr. Bedeković over at Mercy Hospital. Honestly, watching him work is such a treat—he has this incredible way of focusing on the functional side of things while simultaneously making sure the aesthetic results are absolutely flawless. It’s rare to find someone who balances both so perfectly!

Andrew Booth14 said:Man, it’s a shame—there are clearly plenty of people out there who aren't happy with their results. Here is my situation: I went in for septoplasty because I couldn't breathe properly, and decided to tack on a rhinoplasty while I was at it. I wasn't thrilled with my profile, so I told them to just straighten it out a bit—make it smooth. Instead, I ended up with a literal hump. :-P It wouldn't even be an issue if my profile actually looked straight, but you can see exactly where the "new" nose ends and the "old" one begins. Let me try to explain this so it makes sense. The "new" part is the bridge—the nasal bone between/just below the eyes—and the "old" part is everything else. There is a blatant, visible line between the bridge and the cartilage plate (that's the middle of the nose, right?) and that "old" section looks like it was just glued on rather than integrated with the rest. It wasn't obvious during the first year, but now it's becoming much more pronounced. Lately, I've been weighing the option of getting it fixed, but I have no clue who to trust or if it's even worth the hassle. What if it turns out even worse?! The only silver lining is that I can breathe normally. :-)

Jesse Adams47, how did the consultation with Zambelli go? Did you happen to ask about the price? That's a huge factor in my decision-making process. Thanks! :-)

Haha, it’s pretty interesting how your post puts nasal function completely in the backseat, even though that’s way more fundamental than just how things look aesthetically.

The real question is what was actually performed during the procedure; honestly, an open septorhinoplasty would have been the much better call here.

I think a lot of what Jesse Adams47 wrote applies to you as well. 🙂

rustygardener172 said:What on earth are you doing out in Oakland?

I’m constantly learning, so I guess you could say my entire life is basically one big ongoing specialization.

George Richardson10 said:My situation is actually this: during spring and summer, if I'm not taking Claritin and some kind of spray, I can't function... I mean, sneezing, itching, runny nose... the meds I use help a ton... however, all year round, I have this constant post-nasal drip, but my nose isn't actually running... now I don't know if it's an allergy to dust mites and dust or chronic sinus inflammation??? My tests showed a 10mm reaction to dust mites, but I don't really get the typical symptoms like sneezing, choking, a runny nose, or itching. Is it possible for test results to show an allergy when the person isn't actually having problems? On top of that, I have a severe deviated septum which just makes everything harder.

It sounds like you’re dealing with chronic rhinosinusitis, which can be either idiopathic or allergic in nature. Essentially, we're looking at hypersensitivity combined with CHRONIC mucosal inflammation.

Right now, the standard recommendation is to suggest intranasal corticosteroid sprays to patients because they lack systemic bioavailability—unlike the oral antihistamines you've been taking. Systemic antihistamines are usually only added into the mix if you're having a particularly severe reaction.

It’s a bit tough for me to say for certain without a full clinical analysis, but I’d recommend getting skin prick testing done along with a nasal cytology. If those don't point toward everything you suspect you might be allergic to, there are other diagnostic steps we can take.

That sensation of fluid draining down your throat is what we call "postnasal drip." It's very common with chronic rhinosinusitis, and while it can't ever be completely "cured," it is absolutely possible to thin out and reduce that secretion. For that, you'd typically use a combination of those intranasal corticosteroid sprays I mentioned earlier, paired with rinsing the area first using a saline solution syringe.

To be honest, my approach with people is to always explain the underlying nature of the condition. I like to emphasize that in this entire process, we're a team—I'm just as involved as the patient is. What that means specifically is that while tests can point us in a certain direction, the most important thing is for people to learn how to manage themselves. You need to understand your own symptomatology and the specific signs of your illness so you can adjust your prescribed therapy accordingly. We only look into modifying the treatment plan if we aren't seeing targeted improvement.

As for the deviation, that really should be corrected because it affects the direction, speed, and turbulence of airflow. If that isn't handled properly, the physical barrier in your nose can't perform its primary job—which is filtering. This leaves an open door for microorganisms from our environment to enter both your sinuses and your throat.