Diagnosis
The clinician should suspect ENS when the following findings are present: The patient complains of poor nasal breathing and often a relentless sensation of suffocation or shortness of breath despite having a patent (typically over-patent) nasal airway. The patients typically complain of nasal dryness too. These symptoms appeared only after the patient underwent a turbinate reductive procedure. Sometimes, many years later.
On examination the nasal cavity should look abnormally spacious, lacking (part of) one or both turbinates (the inferior and/or middle turbinates). Mucosal pathology varies greatly. In some patients, the mucosa is dry and pale because of metaplasia; in others, it is red because of chronic infection. Crusting may range from absent to severe. The symptoms and findings are believed to be caused by abnormal aerodynamics, chronic inflammation and dryness leading to loss of airflow sensation that feels like dyspnea.
The diagnosis is often complicated because it is common to find that the remaining tissues are hypertrophied (in response to the dryness and constant aggravation of over-turbulent air currents).
Read more about this topic: Empty Nose Syndrome