Doctor Makes Bizarre Discovery After Woman's Nose Runs Constantly For Years

Doctors spent years blaming Kendra Jackson's non-stop runny nose on colds, allergies -- you name it. But when a specialist finally got to the root of the problem, it turns out the continuous drip wasn't mucus after all. The Nebraska woman suffered from a brain fluid leak!

Kendra Jackson couldn't go anywhere without a pack of tissues. Her nose just always dripped.

"Everywhere I went I always had a box of Puffs, always stuffed in my pocket," she said. "[It was] like a waterfall, continuously, and then it would run to the back of my throat."

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It about drove her crazy. The poor woman couldn't even get relief at night. Her nose just never stopped dripping.

"I couldn't sleep, I was like a zombie," Kendra recalled.

It seemed as though things would never get better. She tried going to the doctor but they kept blaming the problem on colds or allergies. But the Nebraska woman just knew something else was going on. 

The non-stop drip plagued Kendra for five years until finally, she got a proper diagnosis.

Kendra had already been to see multiple doctors, including specialists. Fed up, she marched into the office of yet another Ear, Nose, And Throat specialist (ENT) and demanded the doctor figure out the true cause. Thankfully, God had brought her to the right place!

Doctor Finally Solves The Mystery

Nebraska Medicine Rhinologist Dr. Christie Barnes finally solved the mystery. She listened to Kendra's full story, which included surviving a serious car accident in 2013.

Dr. Barnes pieced the entire puzzle together and realized Kendra's runny nose wasn't a result of mucus. It had nothing to do with allergies or a cold or any of the other doctor's previous conclusions. She diagnosed Kendra with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak.

In other words, the fluid continuously dripping from Kendra's nose, practically drowning her at night, was actually a brain fluid leak!

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It's estimated that Kendra was losing about a half-pint of brain fluid each day through her nose. On top of the annoyance and interruption in sleep, the drip was also causing her headaches. And thank God Kendra got diagnosed when she did. If left untreated, a brain fluid leak can eventually lead to serious infection.

Signs Your Runny Nose Could Be A Brain Fluid Leak

• Drainage will have a salty taste
• Drainage will be abundant and continuous
• Drainage will be concentrated to one side of the head
• Increased pressure with positional changes such as bending over, leaning forward, etc.

There were some other blessings with the timing of the doctor's discovery. In years past, a brain fluid leak like Kendra's would require brain surgery to fix. But nowadays, doctors have developed a far less invasive procedure.

"We go through the nostrils, through the nose," Dr. Christie Barnes said. "We use angled cameras, angled instruments to get us up to where we need to go."

The surgery was a complete success and Kendra finally has the relief she's been praying for!

WATCH: Woman's Constant Runny Nose Is Actually Brain Fluid Leak

h/t: NPR

Featured Image Credit: KETV News/Nebraska Medicine

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