Rachel Jordan: Empty Nose Syndrome, Severe Nasal Dryness and Breathing Problems After Septorhinoplasty
Rachel Jordan’s story documents severe nasal dryness, loss of airflow sensation, disturbed breathing and sleep problems that she described after years of nasal symptoms and later septorhinoplasty. This page brings together her own reported experiences, archived support-group material, photographs, a video and additional documents relating to Empty Nose Syndrome (ENS), atrophic rhinitis and impaired nasal sensation.
Rachel Jordan’s reported symptoms and daily struggle
Rachel Jordan, from the United Kingdom, passed away in 2021 after a final crisis. In support-group posts preserved with this material, she described severe nasal and breathing problems that had come to dominate her daily life. She repeatedly wrote that breathing through her nose no longer felt automatic or normal and that she could barely sense the movement of air.
Her posts described a nose that felt extremely dry, with very little sensation or resistance. She associated this with a constant feeling of being unable to breathe properly, a pounding pulse, dizziness and a persistent fight-or-flight response. She also expressed fear that her health problems would prevent her from seeing her young daughter grow up.
Rachel asked other group members about medication for anxiety and panic associated with her breathing symptoms. She had previously tried sertraline but reported difficulty tolerating the initial side effects. She later used mirtazapine to help her sleep.
Severe nasal dryness and loss of airflow sensation
One of Rachel’s most persistent complaints was profound nasal dryness. She wrote that she could not keep the inside of her nose adequately moisturized and believed that the mucosal lining of her septum and turbinates had been seriously damaged. She questioned whether metaplastic or atrophic changes might explain the lack of normal moisture and sensation.
She reported trying numerous products and approaches, including saline rinses, NeilMed, Xlear, Ayr gel, coconut oil, Bepanthen nasal cream and petroleum jelly, but said that none provided lasting relief.
Rachel also described a long history of nasal crusting. She wrote that she had repeatedly removed crusts from the septum over the years, sometimes leaving the tissue sore and prone to bleeding. Later, she became concerned that chronic crusting and irritation might have contributed to long-term mucosal damage.
Manual breathing, dizziness and disrupted sleep
Rachel frequently described having to consciously control her breathing. She said that unless she was asleep, breathing no longer seemed fully automatic and that she had to think about the rhythm and depth of each breath. She linked this to dizziness, lightheadedness, poor concentration and a sense that she could not get the breathing pattern right.
Her symptoms were often worse in the early morning. She reported waking between approximately 3 and 5 a.m. with severe anxiety and difficulty settling her breathing. Even with mirtazapine, she sometimes slept only a few hours. She also described waking suddenly, sweating and feeling as though she had been over-breathing or hyperventilating.
During the day, Rachel reported noisy and difficult nasal breathing, pressure around the nasal valve area, accessory-muscle pain and a persistent sense of respiratory discomfort. In the evening she sometimes noticed slightly more nasal resistance or swelling, which she felt could reduce her anxiety somewhat.
Septorhinoplasty and worsening symptoms
Rachel reported that she had undergone septorhinoplasty in an attempt to improve nasal airflow. In the material collected for this page, she later expressed regret about the operation and wrote that her symptoms had become considerably worse afterward.
She described the inside of her nose as numb and unusually open, with little resistance and poor ability to sense airflow or temperature changes. She also questioned whether she had internal nasal valve collapse and asked other patients about their symptoms and experiences with valve surgery.
The source material does not establish the exact details of every surgical manoeuvre performed during Rachel’s operation. For that reason, possible changes to the nasal valve should be treated as a question raised in the archived posts rather than as a confirmed surgical finding.
Video about Rachel Jordan and her breathing problems
The video below forms part of the material collected about Rachel’s experience with severe nasal symptoms, impaired airflow sensation and suspected Empty Nose Syndrome.
What septorhinoplasty involves
Septorhinoplasty combines procedures that alter the nasal septum with procedures that reshape or reconstruct the external and internal framework of the nose. The exact techniques vary depending on the patient and the purpose of the operation.
Septoplasty
Septoplasty is performed to correct structural problems of the nasal septum. Depending on the case, cartilage or bone may be repositioned, reshaped or removed, and the mucosal lining is then repositioned over the corrected structure.
Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty changes the shape or structural support of the nose. It may be performed through an open or closed approach and can involve reshaping bone and cartilage or adding cartilage grafts. In some functional procedures, structural support around the nasal valve may also be modified.
Recognized categories of complications
- Bleeding, infection or adverse reactions related to surgery or anesthesia.
- Persistent or new nasal breathing difficulties.
- Numbness, altered sensation, swelling or scarring.
- Structural or cosmetic results that may require further treatment.
Empty Nose Syndrome, atrophic rhinitis and nasal sensory function
Rachel’s archived posts repeatedly focus on three issues: extreme dryness, reduced nasal sensation and an abnormal perception of breathing. She questioned whether longstanding atrophic changes had affected the nasal mucosa and whether surgery had further altered the resistance and sensory feedback that normally accompany nasal airflow.
These concerns overlap with symptoms commonly discussed by patients with Empty Nose Syndrome, including paradoxical nasal obstruction, a sensation that the nose is too open, dryness, reduced airflow perception and significant respiratory discomfort. Rachel herself sought advice from other patients about whether her symptoms could represent ENS.
The material also records episodes of dizziness, waking with a sensation of over-breathing and difficulty regulating the depth and rhythm of respiration. Rachel described these experiences in her own words as part of the progression of her condition.
Rachel’s story illustrates the profound impact that severe chronic nasal and breathing symptoms can have on sleep, concentration, daily functioning and quality of life. Preserving her own reports is valuable because they document how she experienced the progression of her symptoms and the difficulty she had finding relief.
Supporting documents about Rachel Jordan
Additional information and supporting records concerning Rachel Jordan are available in the document below.
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