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How long will I be off work after sinus surgery?

Author

Christopher Duran

Updated on February 25, 2026

How long will I be off work after sinus surgery?

You will probably be able to return to work or school in about 1 week and to your normal routine in about 3 weeks. However, this varies with your job and the extent of your surgery. Most people feel normal in 1 to 2 months. You will have to visit your doctor regularly for 3 to 4 months after your surgery.

Also question is, how long is nasal surgery recovery?

Most people recover fully in 1 to 2 months. You will have to visit your doctor during the 3 to 4 months after your surgery. Your doctor will check to see that your nose is healing well. This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover.

One may also ask, how long do you have pain after sinus surgery? It can take several weeks for you to fully recover. You'll have some swelling and tenderness inside your nose after the surgery, but this is normal. You may have symptoms like a severe cold or a sinus infection. This is due to swelling, dry blood, mucus, and crusting in your nose.

Similarly one may ask, what happens one week after sinus surgery?

Nasal Congestion

For the first week after surgery, your head will feel stuffy. This is because you will have swelling of the mucous membranes of your nose. This is normal and expected. The stuffiness will gradually decrease over the next few weeks, so please be patient.

Why does it take so long to recover from sinus surgery?

It may take you several weeks to recover completely. After the operation, you will have some swelling and tenderness within your nose, but that's normal. Symptoms such as severe cold or sinus infection can occur. This is because of swelling, dried blood, mucus, and nasal crushing.

Can you breathe with nasal packing?

Nasal packing will make nose breathing impossible and an oral airway may facilitate mouth breathing.

Is nasal packing removal painful?

When the packing is to be removed, it should not be an unpleasant or painful experience. Here is our typical method: The patient is advised to take one or two pain pills one hour before the office appointment just to take “the edge off” any possible discomfort.

How bad does a deviated septum have to be for surgery?

You may want to talk to your doctor about treatments other than surgery. But if your deviated septum blocks one or both nostrils so that it's hard or impossible to breathe through your nose, you may want to consider surgery. That stuffy nose can create a breeding ground for bacteria to grow.

What can you not do after sinus surgery?

What to Avoid After Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: Nose Blowing and Straining: You should avoid straining, heavy lifting (> 20 lbs) and nose blowing for at least 10 days after surgery. Straining or nose blowing soon after surgery may cause bleeding.

Why does my throat hurt after sinus surgery?

Finally, in some rare instances, you may also get a dry throat from the tube placed in your throat during anesthesia. Sometimes this tube can result in some irritation, which can cause a sore throat or discomfort, which may feel like a dry throat.

Does sinus surgery change your voice?

Many patients after sinus surgery notice a voice change because the normal resonance provided by the nose and sinuses has been restored so it sounds different to them. If your voice really is more nasal then may have excessive swelling although it should have subsided by now.

How long do nasal stents stay in?

Typically, nasal stents are placed in the nose for 12 to 18 days with a dissolvable white jelly-like packing.

What is the point of nasal packing?

Nasal packing is the placement of an intranasal device that applies constant local pressure to the nasal septum. Nasal packing works by (1) direct pressure; (2) consequent reduction of mucosal irritation, which decreases bleeding; and (3) clot formation surrounding the foreign body, which enhances pressure.

Can you pick your nose after sinus surgery?

After any packing is removed, apply polysporin ointment into the nostrils 3 to 4 times a day for about 3 weeks. This will prevent and soften crusts forming in the nose. Allow the crusting to fall off naturally; do not pick at it. You may have some swelling of the eyes & nose area for 2-3 weeks.

When can I lay flat after sinus surgery?

Prop up your head

You will have to sleep with your head elevated for 24-48 hours after surgery to help the bleeding slow down and help the swelling resolve. Prior to surgery, set up your bed with at least two pillows so you can prop your head up at night.

What is crusting after sinus surgery?

Importance of Removal. Nasal crusting is caused by abnormal mucus production or excessive accumulation. The mucus is thick and does not drain normally. Large crusts may form which may interfere with breathing or emit a foul odor.

How do I clear my nose after sinus surgery?

  1. Use salt water (saline) rinses beginning 1 to 2 days after surgery to wash away any crust and surgical debris.
  2. Your doctor may recommend that you use a nasal steroid spray 15-30 minutes after using the salt-water rinse.
  3. You will need several visits after surgery to clear out old blood and mucus.

Why do my ears hurt after sinus surgery?

After a rhinoplasty, the posterior pharynx (the area in the back of the mouth and throat), and/or the area near the back of the nose may swell. When any swelling in the mouth and nose occurs, it blocks off the eustachian tube, and patients will feel a slightly uncomfortable pressure in the ears.

Why is my nose still blocked after sinus surgery?

Nasal obstruction – Cartilage may move after surgery, and in rare cases, it can cause a persistent blockage. Small scar bands may also form and need to be removed.

Are sinus operations successful?

The fortunate thing here is that sinus surgery usually works very well. In fact, endoscopic sinus surgery, which is the most common type of sinus surgery performed today, is about 85 to 90 percent effective.

What is removed during sinus surgery?

Surgery involves enlarging the openings between the sinuses and the inside of the nose so air can get in and drainage can get out. It may involve removing infected sinus tissue, bone or polyps.

How do you know if you need sinus surgery?

Signs you may need sinus surgery include: The sinusitis is chronic. The sinusitis has not improved with nonsurgical treatments. Anatomic abnormalities are present in the nasal or sinus passages.

How can I permanently cure sinusitis?

Treatment
  1. Nasal corticosteroids. These nasal sprays help prevent and treat inflammation.
  2. Saline nasal irrigation, with nasal sprays or solutions, reduces drainage and rinses away irritants and allergies.
  3. Oral or injected corticosteroids.
  4. Aspirin desensitization treatment, if you have reactions to aspirin that cause sinusitis.

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