A student had slug-like growths removed from her nose after they caused her to suffer breathing problems for almost a decade.
Julia Khalil, 21, from West Hampstead, London, claims she had agonising cramps in her back, ribs, and chest because of her swollen turbinates.
Turbinates are small bony structures covered in soft tissue inside the nose that cleanse and humidify air as it passes through the nostrils.
Miss Khalil had been told by others her loud breathing, caused by a seemingly blocked nose, was annoying, leaving her embarrassed.
She claims doctors put her difficulty breathing down to her spinal condition, scoliosis, which in severe cases can lead to the lungs being compressed.
It wasn't until a friend suggested her it could be due to swollen turbinates that she sought help.
After having a private turbinate reduction procedure at a cost of £9,000, Miss Khalil said she now feels like a 'vacuum cleaner' because she can breathe easier.
Stress, fatigue and thyroid disorders can cause the turbinates to enlarge, but symptoms can be mistaken for a cold.
Julia Khalil, 21, of West Hampstead, London, had growths the size of slugs removed from her nose that had caused her to suffer mystery breathing problems for most of her life
She had been told by others her loud breathing was annoying, therefore was too ashamed to study in the library at The University of Central Lancashire
Miss Khalil was shocked to see the slimy pieces of excess tissue removed from her nostrils by surgeons - a procedure also offered on the NHS.
She said: 'They were enormous. Side by side, they were about the size of large slugs. Almost instantly, I could breathe so much more easily.
'And since then, I've been able to sleep better and I can go for a run without having to worry about catching my breath.
'I honestly feel like a vacuum cleaner, I can inhale so much. The more I think about how my life was before, the more I appreciated how it's changed for the better.'
Nasal turbinates are normal outgrowths of the nasal sidewall bone that are covered in nasal cavity mucus membrane. There are three sets on each side of the nose.
Turbinate hypertrophy is when these outgrowths become enlarged or inflamed, obstructing the nose.
Turbinates can become enlarged through a number of ways - and they also grow slightly as we get older.
Stress, fatigue, hormone changes, thyroid disorders and pregnancy can all cause the turbinates to become inflamed, irritated and enlarged.
Allergies, irritation and infection can also produce an excessive amount of mucus which can lead to congestion.
It can also be present from birth - the middle turbinate may be enlarged due to a concha bullosa, or air-filled turbinate.
Miss Khalil, studying management at The University of Central Lancashire, was diagnosed with scoliosis - a curvature of the spine - aged 12.
She claims doctors assumed this was the cause of her breathing problems. In severe cases of the condition, the lungs can be squashed by the rib cage.
The turbinates were overlooked while Miss Khalil repeatedly complained about poor
