What is deviation of the septum, and what causes it?
The thin wall between the nostrils consists of cartilage and bones and is called an interval. The septum consists of bone and cartilage. When such cartilage or bone deviates from the center (deviates from one side) or crooked, it is called a deviated septum.
Although some cases of septum deviation are hereditary or hereditary, it can also be caused by injury.
The deviation septum can develop in the uterus, or when the fetus is still in the womb, as well as during childbirth.
A study conducted in India in 2012 revealed that this affected 20 % of newborns. These cases are associated with difficulties in childbirth and occur most often in babies of higher birth weight and in those who experience difficulties.
They are usually smooth and most often occur on the front (anterior) part of the nose. The degree of deviation can increase or change naturally with the age of the person.
Injuries or injuries to the nose tend to cause extreme angles in late life, as well as irregular shapes, and they affect all areas equally in terms of space.
Injury-related deviations may also cause dislocation or rupture of cartilage.
Can a Deviated Septum Cause Sleep Apnea?
Since the patient opens their mouth during sleep (if they have a blocked nose), this reflex can lead to sleep apnea and snoring narrowing the pharyngeal cavity (allowing food to pass through the central space of the pharynx) in two ways:
Opening the mouth during sleep, the rest of the chin and jaw move behind and underground to replace the tongue in that direction. This directly narrows the pharyngeal airway.
Secondly, opening the mouth reduces the length and tension of the muscles around the airways, increasing the resistance of the airways.
When trying to breathe through the nose, despite the blockage, the negative pressure on the chest increases.
If somewhere in the upper respiratory tract is narrow (the main cause of sleep apnea), stress will cause, according to the principle Bernoulli, a collapse at the point of contraction, leading to a lack of breathing during sleep.
This assumption gained greater confidence when it became clear that the abnormal nasal septum, a common cause of nasal airway stenosis, is very common in patients with sleep apnea syndrome.
In a nutshell… Nasal obstruction does not directly cause sleep apnea, because the collapse of the respiratory tract does not occur in the nose.
However, indirectly, there is a relationship between the bias of the nasal septum and respiratory sleep disorders, including snoring and sleep apnea.
Thus, cleaning the obstruction of the nasal passages will help improve breathing during sleep and even prevent the collapse of the airways (sleep apnea).
No number of online medical sources claim that a deviated septum can cause sleep apnea by limiting the nasal passage to the upper airway. But this is what really happens in these cases: the patient has a blocked airway, and limiting the nasal passage makes it worse.
Apneas increase and symptoms are easier to pay attention. So, if there is anything, a deviated septum can help reveal sleep apnea in some patients, although by itself it does not cause the disease.
Septoplasty: Surgery for Deviated Nasal Septum
Septoplasty is usually faster and less painful than most programs. However, to find out if nasal surgery will improve sleep disorders (snoring and sleep apnea), find an excellent and highly reliable otolaryngologist to help you make decisions.
It would be a good idea to follow the otolaryngology discussion with your sleep doctor. From another excellent second opinion, a highly reliable ENT will also be a good idea.
Prepare to ask your doctor the following questions:
- How long can I wait to recover?
- How do I know if the operation was successful?
- Will the doctor know, based on his experience and what he thinks, whether the operation is successful immediately after the operation?
- I breathed well again, and what are the chances of avoiding sinus infection in the future?
- Will the doctor remove cartilage from both sides or only from one side of the nose?
- Will the doctor plan to use the container in the nose? If so, how do I breathe because I have OSA?
- Will the doctor put splints in the nostril after surgery? If so, how long will it be deleted?
- What painkillers will be used after surgery?
- How many days should I wait to get out of work?
- Do I have to take my CPAP machine and mask to the hospital because I have to stay and spend the night?
- Is it painful to wear a mask after surgery? I find it very painful to blow air to the surgical site.
- What happens to the doctor if the procedure is not 100% successful?
- What if something hits your nose in the recovery process?
CPAP vs Septoplasty
When it comes to snoring, both treatments have advantages and disadvantages. As a result, there are great things to do for your root causes snoring.
- A CPAP needs to be worn every night for the rest of your life. Septoplasty surgery is a one-time operation.
- CPAP eliminates snoring and sleep apnea if the cause is not having enough oxygen in your system. Septoplasty will eliminate snoring if the cause is a deviation from the septum.
- The effectiveness of CPAP therapy depends on the regularity of compliance. For septoplasty procedures, the effect is consistent and durable after the initial procedure.
- CPAP can cause discomfort every time it is used. Septoplasty produces discomfort for a short period of time after surgery, but discomfort does not persist.
- The CPAP equipment requires regular maintenance and is usually noisy and difficult to use. Septoplasties do not require any equipment maintenance once the surgery has occurred.
- A CPAP machine can cause physical side effects, such as a rash on the face, or psychological side effects, such as a feeling of suffocation. Recovery from septal surgery usually takes less than 48 hours, and you can resume normal activity.
Signs You Have a Deviated Septum
There are several problems that you can encounter if you have a deviation from sepsis. It can cause other diseases or worsen some diseases.
- Shortness of breath: The poor state of the nasal cavity makes it difficult to pass through the middle of the nose, so it is more difficult to breathe. This problem often arises when a person is affected by a cold or an allergy.
- Nasal congestion/headache: Since air does not always flow freely through the nasal cavity, the head sometimes feels uncomfortable. Delay can cause frequent headaches, including migraines.
- Nasal blood: When you have a curved diaphragm, the air has difficulty getting through the nose. This makes the membrane of the nose more likely to dry out.
- The more sinus infections clog the airways, the more likely it is that frequent sinus infections will appear. Chronic posterior nasal drops and other cold symptoms are also often accompanied by deviations of the septum.
- Interruption of snoring/sleep: from which deviations from nasal congestion can lead to strong breathing and snoring. If you have shortness of breath, it can be difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. In some cases, deviation of the septum can lead to sleep apnea, which is a potentially serious problem. In this condition, breathing stops during sleep.
A CPAP machine takes a life of commitment, even though it can be uncomfortable to use. As a CPAP substitute for those who suffer particularly from sinuses associated with snoring and sleep apnea, septoplasty is a one-time process that quickly heals with minimal discomfort.