Patient treatment experiences
Last updated on
How have other people with empty nose syndrome (ENS) responded to treatment? Browse anonymized patient experiences with surgery, injections, and everyday breathing aids, alongside original Facebook and Reddit sources and relevant clinical studies.
Experiences range from lasting improvement to temporary relief, no change, or worsening. Results vary from person to person.
About the reports and sources
These are personal experiences, not verified medical findings or predictions of how a treatment will work for someone else. This selection cannot show treatment success rates. Updates and cross-posts identified as belonging to the same patient have been combined; other overlaps between Facebook and Reddit may remain.
Names and identifying personal details have been removed from the summaries. Facebook links require access to the relevant group. Reddit sources are public. Original posts and comments may identify the author. Missing links and unverified dates are marked. Clinical studies are labeled separately.
The original collection was compiled on 12 September 2026. Additional sources and follow-ups were checked in October 2026.
Implants and reconstructive surgery
Rib-cartilage implant
Report years: 2023, 2024 and 2025
Major relief lasting almost two years
One person reported substantial relief after an implant made from their own rib cartilage on one side of the nose. At one year and again at almost two years, they described practically none of their usual ENS symptoms.
However, sensitivity to dry air and mucus draining down the throat remained. They also reported thin nasal lining and early exposure of the implant. They suspected that mucus was collecting between the implant and the remaining turbinate.
A later update in 2025 described continued relief at almost two years. Mucus draining down the throat had improved compared with the first year, but dry air still triggered throat discomfort.
In the earliest update, two months after surgery in 2023, the same patient described less openness, dryness, throat irritation, and low mood. Mucus draining down the throat was a new problem after surgery.
Read the early two-month report (2023)
Read the original Facebook report (2024) and comments
Rib-cartilage implant
Report year: 2026
Airflow sensation returned after several difficult months
One person described a very good first month after rib-cartilage implant surgery, followed by several difficult months. In a report seven months after surgery, they said that their ENS symptoms had disappeared after about six months, with relief from panic and depression.
When asked in the comments whether they could feel air again, they answered yes. They also clarified that their only physical ENS symptom had been inability to feel airflow. This makes the account most relevant to airflow sensation; it does not show how the implant affected dryness or other ENS symptoms.
The account is a personal report, without independent clinical verification or a later detailed outcome assessment. It does not establish that damaged nerves regenerated.
Read the seven-month Facebook report (2026)
Read the reply confirming airflow sensation (2026)
Read the clarification about the original symptom (2026)
Collagen implants
Report years: 2025 and 2026
Less suffocation, temporary pain, and a remaining cold-air sensation
After collagen was placed in both side walls of the nose, one person reported that their suffocation sensation had stopped.
They initially experienced upper-tooth, sinus-area, and forehead pain, which they attributed to pressure on nerves. This settled after about four weeks.
At six weeks, a cold airflow sensation on the right still caused headaches. Cotton placed directly beside the nasal septum—the partition between the nostrils—relieved it. Some implant material had also reportedly come out during rinsing while the incisions were open.
Read the original Facebook report (2025) and comments
A separate 2026 update from the same patient described several months of better resistance and moisture after a third operation, followed by renewed dryness and openness. It involved additional materials and procedures, so it is a separate stage of treatment.
Read the later report after further surgery (2026)
One-sided donor-rib nasal-floor implant
Report year: 2025
Partial early relief; much greater openness returned later
At four and a half months after a left-sided implant, one person reported much less cold-air discomfort and less panic. Suffocation and the feeling that the nose was too open had partly improved.
Dryness was unchanged or worse. The patient clarified that dryness had been worsening since the original turbinate surgery and did not attribute that worsening to the implant. Cotton placement after implant surgery caused pain and slight bleeding.
They also reported that three stem-cell injections in the previous year had made little difference.
In a November 2025 update, they reported feeling very open again and needing cotton, which was helping less than before. They believed that the donor-rib implant had shrunk. This was the patient’s interpretation; no measurement confirming shrinkage was available.
Read the original Facebook report (2025) and comments
Read the later update about renewed openness (November 2025)
Bilateral augmentation
Report year: 2025
Strong improvement after three weeks
Three weeks after surgery to add volume around both turbinates, one person reported that suffocation was almost gone. Mucus could also move on the left side again.
Swelling temporarily made the nose feel too narrow. This was an early update; a later outcome was not included.
Read the Facebook post and comments
Implant
Report year: 2025
Feeling better at three and a half months
One person reported improvement three and a half months after an implant.
The available update contained few details about the material, placement, or which symptoms had improved.
Read the Facebook post and comments
Rib-cartilage implant
Report year: 2025
Better breathing and sleep
One person reported less suffocation and dryness after a rib-cartilage implant, together with better airflow and sleep.
Their sleep-breathing device also reportedly recorded fewer pauses in breathing. The available account did not clearly state how long the improvement had lasted.
Read the Facebook report (2025) and comments
Combined reconstruction and repeat injections
Report year: 2025 (treatments in 2024 and 2025)
Better breathing and moisture; painful recovery after the first procedure
In March 2024, one person received AlloDerm at the nasal floor and PRP plus Prolaryn Plus around the inferior turbinates. The author later corrected the initial summary: the planned septal graft was not performed. Suffocation and dryness improved, but nerve pain lasted for months. The benefit later diminished.
After repeat injections with PRP and fillers in March 2025, they described markedly better breathing and moisture, without the earlier nerve pain. At one month, the benefit was still strong, although slightly reduced.
A December 2025 comment described mild remaining ENS symptoms and much less need for moisturizers. However, they had received further injections in November, so this does not show lasting benefit from a single procedure.
Read the Facebook report and updates (2025)
Read the December 2025 follow-up comment
Read the author’s correction: no septal graft was performed (April 2025)
Nasal-floor implant
Report year: 2024 (surgery in 2022)
Relief after surgery, followed by a return of symptoms
After a nasal-floor implant in 2022, one person reported that dryness and burning pain had disappeared. They remained very well for an extended period.
In the 2024 report, they described the return of their previous ENS symptoms. Dental work had taken place several months earlier, but this sequence does not establish that the dental treatment caused the return of symptoms. A later outcome was not available.
Read the Facebook report (2024) and comments
Nasal-floor implant
Report year: 2026
Early improvement, but one side still felt too open
About one month after a donor-cartilage nasal-floor implant, one person felt substantially better, although one side still felt too open. Their original turbinate reduction had been about three years earlier.
Their clinician advised allowing six to eight months for healing before considering an additional injection. No longer-term result was available.
Asked specifically about airflow sensation, they said it was much better, although not fully restored. They also described less need to consciously control breathing and said that the implant itself did not bother them. This was an early personal report.
Read the original Facebook report (2026) and comments
Read the reply about improved airflow sensation (March 2026)
Lateral-wall cartilage implants
Report years: 2022 and 2024
Some early improvement; later no implant benefit reported
Two weeks after cartilage implants along the side walls of the nose, one person reported slightly better breathing, more energy, and better exercise performance. The improvement still felt insufficient, although no pain was reported.
At one month and again at about four months, they reported no improvement in breathing or airflow sensation. They mentioned possibly a little less dryness, but felt that volume was still lacking.
In a 2024 follow-up comment, the same patient said that the implants had not worked. Some aspects of their condition were improving, and further surgery was being considered.
Timing matters here: the original turbinate surgery was in August 2021 and the implants were placed in 2022, within the following year. Ongoing recovery from the original operation could have contributed to any early changes; this account cannot separate that from an implant effect.
Read the early Facebook report (2022)
Read the one-month update (2022)
Read the later comment about no improvement in airflow sensation (September 2022)
Implant
Report year: not verified
The empty feeling disappeared, but automatic breathing had not returned
One week after an implant, one person reported that their nose no longer felt empty.
They still did not feel that breathing happened automatically. The implant material and location were not specified, and the update was too early to show a lasting result.
Source link missing — will be added once verified.
Implant: an early update
Report year: 2024
No clear improvement after two weeks
Two weeks after an implant, one person reported no clear improvement. They said that their clinician had described their case as severe and had discussed collagen injections as a possible additional treatment.
The post did not identify the implant material or provide a later result. This early update cannot show the final outcome after healing.
Read the Facebook report (2024) and comments
Implant
Report year: 2026
Initial benefit faded within a few months
One person initially felt more control over their breathing after an implant.
By almost four months, the nose felt much more open again, and breathing difficulties had returned. A later update raised concern that cartilage had broken through the nasal lining or come out.
A medical assessment was planned, but its result was not available.
Read the original Facebook report (2026) and comments
Implant
Report year: 2024
Return to the previous condition and a new sinus problem
One person reported that their condition had returned to how it was before treatment. They also described a new frontal sinus infection.
They believed the implants were poorly positioned and said they could not return for removal at that time. The available account did not independently confirm the placement problem or what caused the infection.
Read the Facebook post and comments
Inferior-turbinate implants
Report year: 2025
Worse suffocation; improvement after implant removal
Three months after implants around the inferior turbinates, one person described worse suffocation and congestion than before surgery. The symptoms varied with the nasal cycle, when congestion shifts between the two sides.
Sleeping and lying down had become very difficult. They suggested several possible explanations, but the cause was not established. The implant material was not specified.
In an October 2025 follow-up, the patient said the implants had been removed after eight months. They reported adhesions to the septum and upper-airway blockage seen on a CT scan. After removal, they felt better and approximately back to their condition before implantation, rather than cured. The clinical findings were reported by the patient and were not independently verified.
Read the three-month Facebook report (2025)
Read the follow-up about removal and improvement (October 2025)
Rib-cartilage implant
Report year: not verified
Breathing became worse within days
One person reported worse breathing within days of receiving an implant made from their own rib cartilage.
They described it as a lateral-wall implant. No later update or revision outcome was available.
Source link missing — will be added once verified.
Lateral-wall implant
Report year: 2025
Severe blockage more than ten years later
More than ten years after a right-sided lateral-wall implant, one person described increasing blockage on that side.
They also reported headaches, visual disturbances, confusion, and worse suffocation. A later implant on the left made the difference between the two sides more noticeable.
Implant removal or nasal-valve repair was being considered. No outcome from further surgery was available.
Read the original Facebook report (2025) and comments
Repeat bovine-matrix implants
Report year: 2024 (first treatment in 2023)
ENS symptoms improved after further augmentation; sleep remained difficult
One Reddit patient reported that their first bovine-derived matrix implant in July 2023 had not added enough volume. In September 2024, their nose still felt too open and dry, and sleep was very poor. Further lateral-wall augmentation was planned for October.
In a December 2024 follow-up, they confirmed having the second surgery and said it had helped many core ENS symptoms. However, sleep problems remained their main difficulty. The update does not specify which individual symptoms improved or provide a longer-term result.
Read the Reddit report and treatment timeline (2024)
Read the December 2024 follow-up comment
ENS surgery: some airflow sensation returned
Report year: 2026
Early improvement on the right; breathing remained uneven
About one month after surgery for ENS, one Reddit patient said they could feel some air entering the right side of their nose again. Before surgery, that side had not felt as though it was working.
The right side still felt worse than the left, and deep breaths could feel blocked. A reply described fluctuating improvement. The procedure and implant material were not specified, and this was an early recovery update rather than evidence of a stable long-term result.
Read the Reddit report and recovery discussion (2026)
Clinical study: Rib- and ear-cartilage implants (2013)
A chart review included 31 patients: 14 received rib cartilage and 17 ear cartilage. Both groups reported better symptom scores after surgery, with a larger average improvement in the rib-cartilage group. This was a small, non-randomized comparison; it does not establish which material will work best for an individual.
Clinical study: IMAP pilot study (2020)
IMAP stands for inferior meatus augmentation procedure: an implant adds volume along the lower outer nasal wall, beneath the inferior turbinate. This early series followed 10 ENS patients who underwent 11 procedures. ENS symptom scores and measures of anxiety, depression, and general nasal symptoms improved at six months. There was no untreated comparison group, so this small series cannot establish a success rate.
Read the IMAP pilot study on PubMed
Clinical study: IMAP with donor rib cartilage (2021)
Seventeen ENS patients with a positive cotton test received IMAP and were followed for one year. Patients reported improvements in suffocation, dryness, reduced airflow sensation, crusting, and burning. Sleep-related questionnaire scores also improved. The implants used donor rib cartilage. This was a small case series without a comparison group; improved airflow sensation does not by itself demonstrate that damaged nerves regrew.
Read the one-year IMAP study on PubMed
Clinical study: IMAP symptoms and airflow (2020 online / 2021 print)
Five patients were assessed before and six months after bilateral IMAP with rib-cartilage implants. Their average ENS6Q symptom score fell from 14.0 to 4.8. Computer models based on CT scans showed a redistribution of air toward the lower nasal passage, without a significant change in overall nasal resistance. This small study explored how implants might help; it was not a test of nerve regeneration.
Read the IMAP airflow study on PubMed
Read the full study in PubMed Central
Clinical study: IMAP with own rib cartilage, long-term follow-up (2025 online / 2026 print)
This study used the patient’s own rib cartilage for IMAP. Of 32 operated patients, 20 were included in the symptom analysis, with an average follow-up of about five years. Their average ENS6Q symptom score fell from 17.5 to 9.1; lower scores mean fewer symptoms. Across all 32 patients, nasal blockage occurred in 34.4%, and four required another operation. The missing symptom data for 12 patients and the absence of a comparison group limit the conclusions.
Fat injections
Fat injection
Report year: not verified
Better breathing, sleep, and comfort after one year
One person reported substantial improvement one year after fat injection.
They described better breathing, sleeping through the night, and no remaining pain or dryness. The injection location was not specified.
They considered their earlier PRP treatment ineffective.
Source link missing — will be added once verified.
Two sessions of fat grafting
Report year: 2022 (treatments in 2021 and 2022)
Painful first recovery; improvement after a second session
After a first fat-grafting session in February 2021, one person described a painful recovery and prolonged nasal nerve pain. They reported improved sleep, concentration, and relief from that pain after a second session in March 2022.
In December 2022, about nine months after the second treatment, they still described improvement and very little nerve pain. Excess mucus and allergy symptoms had remained in the earlier report.
The original post called the treatment fat grafting with PRP, but the author later corrected this in a reply to SVF (stromal vascular fraction, a mixture of cells obtained from fat). They were also taking supplements. The exact preparation was not independently verified, and the reports cannot separate the effects of the combined treatment and other measures.
Read the earlier report, including the first recovery (2022)
Read the later nine-month update (2022)
Read the author’s correction from PRP to SVF (2022)
Fat injection: an adverse experience
Report year: 2026
Severe worsening with reported discharge and suspected tissue damage
One person reported a serious deterioration after fat injection, with discharge and suspected necrosis (tissue death). A later reply described the turbinates as still present but shrinking.
No clinical records confirming the suspected necrosis were available in the material reviewed. The report therefore documents the patient’s account, rather than a confirmed diagnosis or proof of the mechanism.
Read the Facebook report and follow-up replies (2026)
Clinical study: Autologous fat injections (2023 online / 2024 print)
Eleven ENS patients were treated with their own fat. Ten reported improved ENS6Q scores, and ten were satisfied, although symptoms remained. Six had a final score below 11. No complications were reported in this small series. The abstract does not specify the follow-up duration, and the authors called for larger studies with longer follow-up. These results cannot rule out uncommon complications.
Clinical study: Dermis-and-fat grafts (2022 online / 2025 print)
Nine patients received a graft combining skin tissue and fat at the nasal floor. Symptom scores improved during follow-up of up to three months, but dryness improved less. No complications were reported in this short, small series. This was an implanted dermis-and-fat graft, a different procedure from a simple fat injection.
Stem-cell and combination treatments
The treatment labels below follow the original reports. Exact products and preparations were not always clear. Many people received several treatments together, so their experience cannot show which individual treatment helped or caused a problem.
Fat-derived cells plus PRP
Report year: 2026
Delayed improvement, followed by a partial loss of benefit
One person received fat-derived stem/stromal cells, described as ADSC, together with PRP.
They noticed no change during the first month. After that, airflow sensation began to improve, with further gains over subsequent months.
At about eight months, they reported losing airflow sensation again, although they still felt better overall than before treatment.
Read the Facebook post and comments
Multiple treatments
Report year: 2026
Benefits still present after sixteen months
After several combined treatments, one person reported lasting improvements at sixteen months.
These included less head and facial tension, no tinnitus, fewer reflux and jaw-joint problems, and greater exercise tolerance.
Sensitivity to climate and ongoing body tension remained. The available update did not clearly separate the effects of the different treatments.
Read the Facebook post and comments
Cells and exosomes
Report year: 2025
Less fatigue, but worse suffocation
One person described their first three months after cells plus exosomes on both sides of the nose. They had received a second treatment the day before posting; the outcomes below concern the period after the first treatment.
They reported less brain fog and fatigue, more exercise, and slightly better smell.
At the same time, suffocation became worse, nerve pain did not improve, visual floaters increased, and the left side felt narrower. This was a mixed experience, with some important symptoms worsening.
Read the original Facebook report and comments
Three nasal injection treatments
Report year: 2024
Better daily functioning
Two months after treatment, one person reported returning to exercise, better tolerance of flights and dry climates, stable sleep, and no significant dryness.
They had also received previous treatments and made lifestyle changes, making it difficult to identify what produced the improvement.
The available report described early benefit rather than a confirmed long-term result.
Read the original Facebook report (2024) and comments
An earlier 2023 update described improvement in sleep, dryness, and shortness of breath after a series of injections in 2022. These earlier treatments also make the later result difficult to attribute to one procedure.
Read the earlier Facebook update (2023)
Bone-marrow cell treatments
Report year: 2025
Benefit lasted two to three months
After two treatments described as bone-marrow MSC therapy, one person briefly regained airflow sensation and felt more able to function.
After about two to three months, they reported being back at their pre-treatment baseline.
Read the original Facebook report (2025) and comments
A large combination of treatments
Report year: 2024
Better moisture, sleep, and airflow sensation
One person used a combination including PRP, hyaluronic acid, cells, exosomes, an exosome nasal spray, hyperbaric oxygen, and other measures.
They reported a more hydrated and fuller-feeling nose, better sleep, less inflammation, and improved airflow sensation. They described the nasal spray as particularly helpful immediately after use.
Because so many treatments were used together, the report cannot establish the effect of the spray or any other single component.
Read the Facebook post and comments
Nine sessions of expanded fat-derived cells
Report years: 2023 and 2024 (cell treatments in 2022–2023)
Early good days, later greater tightness and sleep problems
One person with an existing rib-cartilage implant completed nine of ten planned sessions of expanded cells from their own fat between November 2022 and June 2023. Some early sessions were followed by very good days, possibly partly related to swelling.
Later, the implanted side felt tighter. Cotton that had previously brought relief could no longer be used as before, and sleep problems worsened. They paused the final planned session.
In a 2024 update, they described easier breathing and less nighttime blockage after the existing implant was made smaller. This does not establish a lasting benefit from the cell treatment or confirm that new tissue had grown. The effects of the injections and the implant cannot be separated.
Read the original report (2023) and the 2024 update
Cells, exosomes, and infusions
Report year: 2024
Steady improvement over almost six months
One person underwent multiple nasal and intravenous treatments involving cell products described as umbilical/fetal, exosomes, and additional infusions.
At almost six months, they reported steady improvement and a major improvement in quality of life.
The large number of treatments makes it impossible to identify which component was responsible.
Read the Facebook post and comments
Multiple injections after extensive nasal surgery
Report year: 2026
No meaningful restoration reported
One person with a history of several nasal operations described severe suffocation sensations, overbreathing, and facial and head pain.
They had received nine stem-cell injections, Prolaryn filler, fat injections, and other injections. They reported that none had restored the damaged turbinate area in the way they hoped.
Their history included several different structural problems, making this a particularly complex experience.
Read the original Facebook report (2026) and comments
Different cell preparations: brief comments
Report year: 2026
Mixed feedback, with too little detail to compare treatments
In an August–September discussion comparing umbilical-cord cell products, a family member said that their son had received treatment without any change. Another patient said that MUSE cells had worked best for them.
Neither comment provided symptom scores, a follow-up duration, or enough treatment detail to explain the difference. The first is a relative's account, rather than a report directly from the patient.
Read the no-change comment (2026)
Read the positive MUSE-cell comment (2026)
Clinical study: Stromal vascular fraction (SVF), six-month follow-up (2018)
Nine patients were analyzed after receiving a cell mixture obtained from their own fat. Two described substantial improvement; seven reported no change. The overall symptom-score change was not statistically significant. SVF is a mixture of cells and is different from laboratory-expanded stem cells or exosome products.
Clinical study: Expanded fat-derived cells combined with fat grafting (2015)
Thirty patients received expanded cells from their own fat together with fat particles. The authors reported improvements in moisture, pain, sleep, and nasal examinations, with assessments at three, six, and nine months. Some symptoms remained. Because the cells and fat were used together without a randomized comparison, this does not establish the effect of cells alone or of other commercial cell products.
PRP and exosomes
PRP means platelet-rich plasma. The accounts below involved different preparations and treatment approaches.
A different PRP preparation
Report year: 2026
Improvement after little benefit from the first treatment
One person reported little benefit from their initial PRP treatment.
After switching to a highly concentrated preparation containing fewer white blood cells, they noticed a difference within one month.
This first account was an early update. In an August 2026 post, the same patient described feeling about 70% better while using nasal plugs and low-leukocyte PRP together. The report does not separate the effects of the plugs from those of PRP.
Read the original Facebook report and comments
Read the later report about plugs and PRP (2026)
PRP
Report year: 2024
More openness, loss of airflow sensation, pain and headaches
One person received PRP with the aim of increasing nasal resistance. In a July 2024 post, they reported that their nose felt wider and that they had lost the sensation of air passing through it.
In another July post, the same patient also described nasal soreness and severe headaches. These are two reports from one patient, rather than two independent experiences. No later outcome was verified.
Read the first July 2024 Facebook report
Read the second July 2024 report, including pain and headaches
PRP on both sides
Report year: 2025
No improvement and some worsening at two weeks
Two weeks after PRP treatment on both sides, one person reported no improvement.
The left side felt more blocked despite the sensation of openness associated with ENS, while the right side felt more open. Chest pain had also increased.
This was an early report, and the longer-term course was unknown.
Read the Facebook post and comments
Clinical study: PRP injections: two published cases (2023)
A paper described PRP treatment in two ENS patients and reported improvement using questionnaires and nasal examinations. Two cases are too few to establish a reliable success rate, lasting benefit, or which PRP preparation is preferable. This is separate from the mixed outcomes described in the Facebook reports above.
Cotton and Rolta Soft
Relief depended on the position of the cotton
Report year: 2025
One person described a constant internal feeling of alarm.
Cotton or Rolta Soft brought immediate, marked relief when it redirected air toward the middle turbinate. Simply placing it near the inferior turbinate did not have the same effect.
No implant treatment was described in this account. This is a report of one person's experience, not instructions for placing material inside the nose.
In a separate 2025 post, the same person described Rolta Soft as much more effective than ordinary cotton. No duration of follow-up was given.
Read the Facebook report (2025) and comments
Read the same patient’s Rolta-versus-cotton comparison (2025)
Rolta Soft
Report year: 2026
More moisture and calmer breathing, with episodes of blockage
After two weeks of regular use, one person reported more moisture and mucus, less need for glycerin, calmer breathing, and less anxiety. They also described receiving a clearer sensation from the nose again while using the insert. This was their subjective experience, not evidence that new nerves or connections had formed.
They also described the material drying and sticking overnight, with mucus causing almost complete blockage. Another commenter said that Rolta Soft was too thick and obstructed their nostrils.
Read the Facebook report (2026) and comments
Read the comment about obstruction (2026)
Rolta Soft: repeated positive updates
Report years: 2022–2026
Major day-to-day relief; benefit depended on the material and position
The author of the linked patient self-help guide described a large improvement in comfort and energy with Rolta Soft in 2022. In a reply, they also confirmed that it helped them feel the air. These Facebook and Reddit updates are combined here as one person’s experience.
In 2023, they reported that a similar-looking material had not helped, while switching to Rolta Soft made an immediate difference. In 2025, they still described substantial relief. A 2026 comment said that placement against the outer nasal wall worked well for them, while placement against the septum did not. This describes relief with the insert; it does not establish nerve regeneration.
Read the Facebook update about daily-life improvement (2022)
Read the reply about feeling the air (2022)
Read the Reddit comparison of materials (2023)
Read the Reddit guide discussion and later updates (2025)
Read the Reddit comment about placement (2026)
Rolta Soft: greater comfort and mental energy
Report year: 2022
Marked short-term relief, including some comfort after removing the material
One commenter said Rolta Soft helped much more than ordinary cotton, swabs, or silicone. They described better concentration, more mental energy, and feeling physically more comfortable, including after removing the insert following several hours of use.
They also used a hyaluronic-acid nasal spray with the material. The improvement had been noticed over only a few days, so the report does not establish lasting recovery or separate the effects of the insert and the spray.
Read the original Facebook experience in the comments (2022)
Rolta Soft: brief relief from suffocation
Report year: 2026
Strong relief for a short time; durability was unclear
One Reddit patient reported that Rolta cotton against the septum temporarily relieved their suffocation sensation. The benefit was much stronger in that position than elsewhere, but it did not last; they wondered whether the material had moved.
They had experienced milder symptoms for several years before a recent flare. The post describes a short response to an insert, rather than a result from implants or injections.
Read the Reddit report and discussion (2026)
Cellona synthetic padding: blockage instead of relief
Report year: 2023
Nasal breathing felt blocked
A commenter responding to a Cellona product link said they had bought it, but that it blocked nasal breathing when inserted. No helpful effect or later improvement was described. This concerns an alternative synthetic padding, rather than a verified trial of Rolta Soft.
Read the Facebook comment (2023)
Clinical study: Cotton placement and airflow (2020)
Six ENS patients who already responded well to cotton were studied. Their average ENS6Q score fell from 16.8 to 3.1 during the cotton test, and airflow modeling showed a change in airflow distribution. These were selected responders during an immediate test; the study does not show long-term benefit from daily cotton or Rolta Soft.
Clinical study: Different cotton positions and placebo response (2024 online / 2025 print)
A modified cotton test was assessed in 48 ENS patients. Responses differed with the placement of the cotton, and 29% also responded during the placebo step. This helps explain why the location and repeatability of relief matter. It is a diagnostic test study, rather than a trial of long-term cotton use.
Nasal plugs and prostheses
ENS Tips/Aurélien: a newer prosthesis design
Report year: 2026
Better daytime comfort and moisture; unsuitable at night for this patient
After just over a week of testing in January, one patient said that they could wear the newer design all day comfortably, unlike the cylindrical and V-shaped versions they had tried before.
They estimated 20–30% better moisture and about 40% less hyperventilation, meaning the feeling of breathing too much. These were subjective estimates. Breathing felt more restricted and required an adjustment period.
In a follow-up comment, they said that they could not use it at night because it did not stay in the desired position. They had also undergone earlier implants and fat injections. This was an early experience, without evidence of lasting benefit.
Read the Facebook report (January 2026)
Read the comment about nighttime use (2026)
Individually fitted silicone nasal prosthesis
Report year: 2026
A custom fit reproduced relief that another model did not
One patient in the German ENS group reported substantial relief with Rolta Soft from February 2026. An existing ENS Tips/Aurélien prosthesis did not reproduce that effect.
An individually molded silicone nasal prosthesis did: in a June comment, they described no remaining “too open” sensation and only minimal burning while using it. This was an early result, without a longer-term update.
Read the German Facebook report and comments (2026)
ENS Tips/Aurélien V-shaped plug
Report year: 2026
Strong relief when correctly positioned; difficulty keeping it in place
An April review described the suffocation sensation disappearing and mucus returning when the plug reached the right position. Keeping it in that position was difficult.
A separate June review described a helpful change in the felt airflow. These are reviews on the seller’s own website, without an independently measured outcome or specified long-term follow-up.
Read the V-shaped plug reviews (2026)
ENS Tips/Aurélien cylindrical prosthesis
Report year: 2026
Potential benefit, with concerns about fit and fragility
A May review described possible improvement in sleep, dryness, and suffocation, while also reporting that precise customization was difficult and the material was brittle.
This is a product-page review on the seller’s website, rather than an independent clinical study.
Read the cylindrical prosthesis review (2026)
Clinical study: Jang’s 3D-printed nasal plug (2024)
Twenty ENS patients used a 3D-printed plug. Their average ENS6Q score fell from 19.6 to 6.8 after 30 minutes of wear. At an average follow-up of about 40 weeks, 13 of 20 said that the initial benefit had been maintained. Common complaints were displacement and the appearance of the visible hook. This was a retrospective study without an untreated comparison group.
Device research: Zhao’s airflow-directed nasal plug
Source checked: 2026; the project description is undated.
Ohio State describes a plug with channels intended to redirect airflow. Its project page mentions encouraging patient feedback, but does not provide patient numbers, follow-up duration, or a detailed ENS outcome study. It should therefore be read as a research-device description, rather than evidence of lasting benefit.
Read Ohio State’s description of the Zhao nasal plug
Nose clips and face masks
Nose clip
Report year: 2023
Immediately easier breathing for one person; mixed feedback from another
After trying several clips, one person found a thin Arena Super Nose Clip II particularly helpful and described immediately easier breathing through the diaphragm. The proposed explanation about redirecting airflow was not independently tested.
Another user with the same clip described more awareness of diaphragm breathing but less sensation of air in the nose, and was unsure whether it helped.
Read the Facebook report (2023) and comments
Read the mixed-response comment (2023)
Face mask
Report year: 2021
Sometimes helpful for nasal dryness
In a discussion about dry nose, one person said that wearing a face mask sometimes helped. They also used a vaporizer and topical moisturizing measures.
The comment did not quantify the benefit or give a long-term follow-up, so it is a brief practical experience.
Read the original Facebook comment (2021)
CPAP and sleep support
Humidified CPAP alongside other treatments
Report year: 2019
Better sleep in a short diary, with several treatments used together
One person used humidified CPAP on 11 of 16 nights while also receiving fat-derived cell treatment and using other measures. Their diary described an increase in sleep from about 4.25 to 5.6 hours over three weeks, with better sleep quality and much less anxiety.
Because several treatments were used at the same time, the improvement cannot be attributed to CPAP alone. This does not establish CPAP as a treatment for ENS itself.
Read the Facebook report (2019) and comments
An oral appliance when CPAP was not tolerated
Report year: 2026
Reported benefit for coexisting sleep apnea
One member of the German ENS group said that they could not tolerate CPAP and found a mandibular advancement splint very helpful. This is an oral appliance that holds the lower jaw forward during sleep.
The reported benefit concerned sleep apnea. It should not be interpreted as evidence that the appliance treats ENS.
Read the original Facebook comment (2026)
CPAP: no benefit and more discomfort
Report year: 2025
The airflow and pressure felt worse; sleep remained severely limited
One Reddit commenter said CPAP had not helped them. They described the air entering their nose too quickly and the continuous pressure making the discomfort worse, despite several attempts.
The comment did not provide the pressure settings, mask type, humidification, or a confirmed sleep-apnea diagnosis. It is a personal report of poor tolerance, not evidence that CPAP will have the same effect for other people.
Read the Reddit comment about CPAP (2025)
Recovery without a new treatment
Airflow sensation returned after several years
Report year: 2026
Earlier improvement without a new treatment; later worsening after fat injection
One Facebook patient described five years of dryness, suffocation, and little breathing sensation after nasal surgery. They then reported a sudden return of moisture and the sensation of breathing, including a response to menthol.
Asked what they had done differently, they replied that they had not done anything and that the change had happened by itself. Nasal valve collapse still caused breathing problems. This is an individual report of late improvement, not proof of receptor repair or a prediction of anyone else’s recovery.
Read the Facebook report (2026)
Read the reply confirming no new treatment (2026)
Later, in September 2026, the same patient reported serious worsening after a fat injection, summarized in the fat-injection section above. The earlier improvement should therefore not be read as their latest condition.
Read the same patient’s later adverse fat-injection report (September 2026)