My ENS Story


My name is James R. Skinner, and I have lived with Empty Nose Syndrome (ENS) since 2011.

I first began experiencing nasal issues around the year 2000, when I developed allergies. In early 2007, something shifted suddenly. Over the span of just a day or two, I developed severe nasal inflammation. This became a serious problem, as I was already struggling to breathe due to a narrow hypopharyngeal airway.

n 2009, a local ENT recommended turbinate surgery to treat the inflammation—without first investigating the underlying cause. Because of long wait times in my home province of Nova Scotia, I traveled to see a well-known nasal surgeon in Cleveland, Ohio. He performed two surgeries. The first involved correcting a septal spur and reducing my inferior turbinates using radiofrequency (RF). The second, due to concerns about overuse of RF, was a submucosal resection. After the second procedure, he told me he had reduced the turbinates as much as was safely possible—and warned that any further surgery could cause permanent damage.

Despite this, I continued to suffer from inflammation in other parts of my nasal passage. In 2011, I visited a different local ENT who recommended a third RF turbinate reduction. I expressed concern about the safety of another procedure, especially in light of my surgical history and previous warnings. He assured me it would be fine. Unfortunately, he proceeded with another RF reduction, which ultimately resulted in Empty Nose Syndrome.

You can read a more detailed version of my story here. This website is my contribution to the ENS community.

James R. Skinner
james@nasalcripple.com

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Help: What to do if you think you may have ENS