Most people can return to school or work after two days of downtime, but some need up to a week—and it can take several weeks to fully recover. During the first 24 hours, you may have to change your nasal drip pad several times an hour, but the frequency should decrease by day two.
You may have symptoms like those of a severe cold or sinus infection, with congestion that can last for several days. You’ll also feel a dull, achy pain for the first few days, though your surgeon should prescribe pain medication to keep you comfortable. You’ll also take antibiotics and possibly steroids for three or four weeks.
It’s normal to have some swelling and tenderness inside your nose after any sinus surgery, and this can last a couple weeks. With nasal endoscopic surgery, there probably won’t be visible swelling, bruising, or changes to the shape of the nose (unless you had a cosmetic procedure done as well), but “the nasal skin lining will become swollen after surgery, and it will take time to calm down,” says Dr. Thomas Lamperti, a facial plastic surgeon in Seattle, in a RealSelf Q&A. Other sinus surgeries may lead to noticeable swelling, especially between the eyes, and your cheeks might be tender to the touch.
If you had septum repair, you may have splints or light nasal packing in your nose. These will be removed at the first follow-up clinic visit, a week after surgery—unless you have dissolvable nasal packing, which your body would absorb as you heal.Â
It’s also normal to have some bloody discharge for the first five days after sinus surgery, especially after you use a saline solution. If steady bleeding occurs, Johns Hopkins recommends Afrin spray. It’s also not unusual to cough up a bit of bloody phlegm for the first couple of weeks after surgery.
Follow these guidelines to help with your healing:
- For the first day, keep your activity to a minimum and get lots of bed rest.Â
- Avoid blowing your nose for one week.Â
- If you have to sneeze, try to keep your mouth open.Â
- You can gently clean the tip of your nose with a Q-tip and peroxide, as often as necessary.
- You can shower or bathe after your surgery, but avoid using hot or steamy water for several days.Â
- Try to keep your head elevated during sleep for at least three days. Sleeping with two or more pillows or using a recliner can help.Â
- Avoid alcohol for a week after surgery, to prevent excess bleeding.
- Resume light exercise about 10 days after surgery.Â
- Heavy lifting, bending, straining, or stooping during the first two weeks after surgery could cause bleeding, so avoid it if you can.Â
- Because changes in air pressure can trigger bleeding, avoid flying for at least two weeks after sinus surgery.Â
- Throughout your recovery, keep your nose moist with a saline nasal spray (Ocean, Salinex, or Ayr) as suggested by your doctor.Â
At your first follow-up appointment, your doctor will remove any splints and clean your nose under local anesthesia, a process that may need to be repeated weekly for up to four weeks. It’s not just to help you breathe better but also to prevent scarring that could close off the sinuses. Your doctor may recommend that you take pain medication prior to these appointments, so be ready to have someone drive you.
“I tell my patients that 50% of the sinus treatment is done in the operating room and the other 50% is done in the office over the next couple of weeks,” says Dr. Undavia.
