Do you have sleep disturbance due to deviated nasal septum?

• December 07, 2023

Do you have sleep disturbance due to deviated nasal septum?

Good sleep is important for general well-being, cognitive function, and research has also shown that good sleep is essential for the longevity of life. A deviated nasal septum and resultant nasal obstruction are common reasons causing sleep disturbance and poor quality of sleep.

What is the Nasal Septum? 

The nasal septum is a partition that is supposed to divide the nose into two equal halves. In reality, the nasal septum is bent or deviated to one side or the other in 80% of the population. Fortunately, in only 20% of these cases, the septum is bent severely enough to give rise to symptoms or affect the quality of life. The septum may be bent in various shapes like a "C" or an "S" or a sharp bend like a knife edge. 

The main symptoms may include:

Nasal obstruction and mouth breathing

Sleep disturbance and waking up with a dry mouth

Daytime tiredness and poor work performance

Poor exercise tolerance and restriction of sporting activity

Headache, facial pain, and recurrent sinusitis

Reduced sense of smell

Ear blockage and ear infections and ear pressure sensation

Nasal dryness and nosebleeds

External nasal deviation in some cases

The mainstay of treatment is surgical correction of the deviated septum by a combination of techniques done under general anesthesia, called septoplasty. With advances in technology, surgery of the nasal septum has become simpler and far more comfortable. In carefully selected cases, very precise correction of the nasal septum is possible using endoscopes. Large and painful nasal packing are now a thing of the past. In some cases, no nasal packs are required at all. Where packing is required, it is very soft, gel-like packing and easily removed by suction. The patient usually leaves the hospital on the same day.

Postoperative recovery requires weekly attendance at the outpatient clinic for three weeks for nasal cleaning. Complication rates from the surgery are low, and satisfaction rates are higher. Well-selected and expertly performed surgery can improve breathing, sleep quality, and can be life-changing.

By Dr. Abdul Ghani Siddique