32 female & have constant sinus issues & referred for sleep study, could deviated septum be the cause? (Photos)

Question

Background: 32yr old female. I work from home and rarely go out but I constantly have sinus issues. I’ve had bloodwork done which shows no signs of immunodeficiency. My doctor recently wrote me a referral for a sleep study and an ent due to my high heart rate and high blood pressure they think it’s sleep apnea. Could this all be caused by a deviated septum?

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

Sleep apnea is common and can be caused by several things including nasal obstruction. I’m sure your ENT will be able to sort it all out for you

Thomas Spalla, MD · Answer

A septal deviation, if severe, can make recurrent sinusitis more likely. However, it is rarely the sole culprit. Furthermore, a septal deviation alone is highly unlikely to result in sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is often multilevel (i.e., multifactorial in terms of areas of obstruction), and is typically caused by oropharyngeal obstruction.

Get the sleep study and discuss potential options with your ENT provider. Non-surgical means of treating sleep apnea such as CPAP and weight loss play a significant role in its management as well.

Richard G. Reish, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question.  An internal nasal examination would be most helpful in this situation to determine the best treatment for you.  Based on your photographs, you are a great candidate for rhinoplasty. Maneuvers for your surgery would include dorsal hump reduction, tip refinement, nasal tip deprojection, tip elevation, among other maneuvers.. With good surgical technique, you could have an outstanding result. I recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified rhinoplasty surgeon who can evaluate you in person.

Best wishes and good luck.

Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

William Portuese, MD · Answer

A deviated septum must be diagnosed by an in-person examination of the internal portion of your nose. The most common symptom with a deviated septum is nasal airflow restriction. If you have a bone spur on your septum, that can give you facial headaches. A sleep study is looking for obstructive sleep apnea.  If you're having trouble with sinus infections, you need a CAT scan of your sinuses to make a determination if there's any polyps inside your sinuses, causing the chronic infections and headaches.

32 female & have constant sinus issues & referred for sleep study, could deviated septum be the cause? (Photos)

Answers (4)

Answer: 32-year-old female and have constant sinus issues

Answer: 32-year-old female and have constant sinus issues

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32 female & have constant sinus issues & referred for sleep study, could deviated septum be the cause? (Photos)

Answers (4)

Answer: 32-year-old female and have constant sinus issues

Answer: 32-year-old female and have constant sinus issues

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Septoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.