"Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim," offers an inspiring account of Christopher Martin's experiences living with empty nose syndrome (ENS) for 10 years. ENS is a relatively unknown, but very serious, tragic medical condition caused by an overly aggressive nasal surgery that I estimate affects between 2-4 million Americans. Many of these treatment strategies are also applicable to people suffering from sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, postnasal drip, nasal congestion, acid reflux and/or asthma. In other words, the treatment strategies in this book apply to 70 million Americans.

Cold Tree Press (2007)
ISBN 9781583851975
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/07)

ENS sufferer, Christopher Martin, has written a very comprehensive book about his experience with ENS.  ENS, or Empty Nose Syndrome, is defined in this book as, “…a cluster of symptoms in individuals who had a turbinate reduction or excision surgery that resulted in removal of too much turbinate tissue, leaving the nose “empty or wide open and the turbinates unable to function properly.”  Turbinates, which are located in our nasal cavities, help to warm and humidify air.  When a person has turbinate reduction surgery, this can lead to ENS if too much turbinate tissue is removed.  This problem is iatrogenic in origin, meaning that it is caused by medical treatment and not something that is genetic in origin.

An ENS sufferer is described as having, “…the sensation of not getting enough air despite a wide open nasal cavity, nasal dryness, and thick, sticky mucus.”  In addition to having their quality of life reduced as a result of this, many people that have ENS also are highly susceptible to depression and future sinus problems. 

Mr. Martin wrote this book with the hope of making people aware of the complications that can result from turbinate reduction surgery. He offers suggestions for alternative treatments that could be used to avoid having this surgery.  People who have sinus, allergy and postnasal drip problems would also benefit from these treatments which include natural, medical, dietary, and environmental remedies.

Mr. Martin has been dealing with this issue for ten years.  He openly discusses his experiences with a variety of medical doctors and the differing opinions that he was offered.  He felt fortunate to finally be able to find the doctors that were able to help him with his problem.  These doctors also help contribute to this book.  His personal disclosures make the book very interesting.  I was also very impressed with the amount of references that he cites in each chapter to help back up his information.

People that would benefit from reading “Having Nasal Surgery?” include those close to people with ENS, people considering turbinate reduction surgery, those suffering from ENS, those with sinus and allergy problems, and the doctors involved with this type of treatment.  I cannot imagine a more comprehensive, yet easy-to-understand source of information for the people whose lives would be improved by accessing this information.  I truly hope that people who are planning to have nasal surgery will find this book before they go through the surgery, and not have to experience what Mr. Martin and numerous other people have had to.