Breathing and the heart
Hey Doctor Houser, I have been having problems since my turbinate reduction, but I do seem to have a benefit from the surgery. For some reason, I think my heart was beating a little harder before surgery, and now it doesn't beat as hard. It does, however, beat fast when I awake from sleep in the morning. Can enlarged turbinates make the heart beat harder or faster for more oxygen?

not that I am aware of there seems to be nasopulmonary reflexes, that are not fully understaood, and the heart and lungs certainly interact perhaps this 'conveyor belt' is affecting you

While the turbinates themselves (as separate organs) may not be directly linked to heart function - breathing is: It is obvious that if turbinectomy improves the overall quality of breathing of a person there will be some improvement in heart function or lesser strain on the heart in the long run, while the opposite is just as obvious - if turbinectomy worsens ones breathing there may be an immediate and/or a cumulative effect on heart function. There is no scientific doubt and no need to prove the direct connection between quality of breathing and heart function. As our entire existence is dependent on proper rates of oxygen and other blood gasses at all times. In western medicine specializations of doctors have ARTIFICIALLY separated the nose from the over all quality of breathing (arterial rates and amounts of oxygen saturation, CO2 and NH levels and any given moment) and from lung function. We know that is only an administrative separation which doesn't apply in the real world as of course everything in the nose effects the over all functions of breathing. Otolaryngologists cannot in the same breath call the nose "the main guardian of the lungs" (as claimed in an editorial article published on the official website of the American Academy of Otolaryngology and in many scientific publications) explaining how the nose's main role besides defense is to condition the inspired air to close to alveolar conditions of air, yet at the same time claim that the nose does not effect lung or heart function. I'm sure you agree.