Woman’s Runny Nose Was Actually Brain Fluid Leak

For years, Kendra Jackson of Omaha, Nebraska thought that she simply suffered from bad allergies that caused her a runny nose. Every doctor that she went to told her this and she remembers how she always had to carry a box of Puffs in her pocket. She was always sneezing, coughing and had a very runny nose and it all began after she was in a car accident back in 2013. During that accident, she remembers hitting her head on a dashboard and she thought that was the reasons for her chronic headaches.

Finally, this year, she learned that her nose was runny not because of severe allergies, but because she had a cerebrospinal fluid leak. According to the doctors, the woman was losing about half-pint of fluid each day. The doctors are saying that such a leak occurs when the fluid around the brain travels through a hole in the skull bone. This is usually a result of a traumatic injury and the symptoms include a runny nose, headaches, and vision loss.

Woman’s runny nose was cerebrospinal fluid leak

It seems that every year, only 5 in 100,000 people report a cerebrospinal fluid leak each year. This is a very rare and usually under-diagnosed condition that can be very dangerous. There are instances when the leak might fix itself through a period of rest. However, not everyone is that lucky and sometimes, surgery is needed.

This was also Jackson’s case as she underwent surgery a few weeks ago. The doctors used a piece of tissue from the woman to stop the leak and they went through her nostrils. After the surgery, the woman was finally able to breathe easily and no longer needs tissues. She can sleep better now, and she admitted that her head felt very clear. According to the doctors, she is now recovering nicely.

Image source: publicdomainpictures