Woman’s runny nose from ‘allergies’ was actually a brain-fluid leak

Allergy season is in full effect, but one woman’s runny nose turned out to be a bit more serious.

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For years, Kendra Jackson of Nebraska complained about her unusually runny nose. She also couldn’t stop coughing and sneezing, and her headaches were ongoing.

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

Jackson’s physicians said she was suffering from allergies, but her symptoms persisted and she decided to get a second opinion.

After being evaluated by experts at Nebraska Medicine, those doctors diagnosed her with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. Her brain fluid was dripping through her nose, and she was losing about a half-pint per day.

In 2013, Jackson was involved in a car accident. She was struck from behind and hit her face on the dashboard. Doctors at Nebraska Medicine believed this was the cause of the her injury.

To repair it, they went in through the nostrils with cameras and used Jackson’s own fatty tissues to patch up the hole.

Without the surgery, her CSF could have lead to serious infections, but she’s now expected to make a full recovery.

“I don't have to carry around the tissue anymore,” Jackson said , “and I'm getting some sleep.”

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