All of us have had a runny nose at some point from allergies or a cold. But when Laura Clancy鈥檚 nose started running from only one nostril, it turned out to be something much more serious.
鈥淚 just assumed it was the start of a cold,鈥 says Clancy, 61.
But it wasn鈥檛 ordinary mucus leaking from her nose. It was cerebrospinal fluid.
This fluid acts as a cushion for the brain and spine and protects against some diseases, among other things. When it leaks, it can lead to big problems.
鈥淵ou can get complications from leaking brain fluid through the nose,鈥 says , a sinus specialist at RUSH. 鈥淭hese can be bad infections, like meningitis or encephalitis. You can also get air tracking into the brain because now there's an open space to the nose.鈥
When Clancy鈥檚 runny nose persisted, she started looking up her symptoms online. She came across the term 鈥渃erebrospinal fluid leak,鈥 often shortened to CSF leak. That led her to Tajudeen, who knew exactly what she was going through 鈥 and how to treat it.
When it鈥檚 more than a runny nose
The runny nose was strange for a few reasons. For one, it was Clancy鈥檚 only symptom. She was still able to go to work as an executive assistant for a major airline during the day, and she could still enjoy her hobbies of quilting and watercolor painting.
鈥淚 was doing other things like I normally did,鈥 she says. 鈥淗owever, I went through a lot of tissues. I had to have tissues on me constantly because I just never knew when a runny nose was going to happen.鈥
But the runny nose only came out of one nostril. Over time, she also noticed that it would come on more often when she leaned over.
鈥淚 was at a restaurant, and after sitting and chatting for a while without issues, I decided to go use the restroom. As soon as I went in and leaned over, it started happening,鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd then I sat back at the table, and it was fine. Just weird things like that.鈥
When it kept happening after a few weeks, she searched for 鈥渋ntermittent runny nose鈥 and other terms related to her symptoms online. After reading articles and watching videos from physicians, she started to suspect that she had a CSF leak.
That鈥檚 when she decided to find a specialist.
The signs of a CSF leak
Clancy made an appointment with Tajudeen, who was fairly sure he was seeing symptoms of a CSF leak.
鈥淪he was reporting clear drainage just from the right side of her nose,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hat's kind of unusual because, generally when people get allergies or get sick, it affects the body equally. Both sides of the nose would be clogged.鈥
Tajudeen notes that patients with CSF leaks often go misdiagnosed for a long time because the condition has symptoms in common with many other health issues. They may get antibiotics or treatment for allergies, and sometimes they even get sinus surgery.
But Tajudeen examined Clancy and found the problem. 鈥淪he had something called an encephalocele,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a small outpouching of brain that can herniate into the nose. That's a common reason to develop a CSF leak.鈥
Brain surgery through the nose
The treatment for CSF leaks has changed in the modern age. Surgeons used to open the skull and reconstruct the bottom of the brain to patch the defect.
But now, surgeons can fix the problem through the nose with endoscopes and less-invasive techniques. That鈥檚 how Tajudeen treated Clancy.
鈥淚t鈥檚 almost like doing brain surgery through the nose,鈥 he says. 鈥淲e identified where the area of herniated brain was and removed that brain tissue.鈥
That brain tissue was nonfunctional, so it wouldn鈥檛 change Clancy鈥檚 thinking or brain function when removed.
After that, Tajudeen patched the hole to seal it, preventing more brain tissue from herniating and stopping the leakage.
A few weeks later, Clancy was feeling back to normal. She鈥檚 still able to drive, go to work and keep up with her hobbies. Tajudeen continues to monitor her brain fluid pressures with a team at RUSH to make sure there鈥檚 not a risk of another leak.
鈥淚 felt pretty good after treatment,鈥 Clancy says. 鈥淓verything is normal now. Overall, I鈥檓 fine.鈥
She also has some advice if you have unusual symptoms like she did.
鈥淚f you have a runny nose all the time, and it鈥檚 only coming out of one nostril, definitely call your doctor,鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd if you don鈥檛 have a leak but have headaches and vision problems, then that鈥檚 another reason to make a phone call and find out what鈥檚 causing that.鈥
Tajudeen recommends taking these symptoms seriously and visiting a specialist if you see them.
鈥淚f you have sinus infections or leak fluid from just one side of your nose, get that checked out,鈥 he says. 鈥淢ake sure you don't have, for example, a tumor blocking just one side or a brain fluid leak. You may have something simple like a deviated septum, and if that's what your physician identifies, great. But occasionally you may find other concerning conditions.鈥
If you need evaluation or treatment for a condition like CSF leak, call RUSH at (888) 352-7874. You can visit our Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (ENT) 脱衣直播 page to learn more.
