Do you have trouble breathing through your nose? Do you suffer from recurrent sinus infection? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may have a deviated septum.
What is a Deviated Septum?
A deviated septum occurs when the nasal septum (the thin wall separating the nasal passages) becomes displaced to one side, making one of the nasal passages smaller than the other. A severe deviated septum can block airflow through one side of the nose, causing breathing difficulty, and the skin of the nose to crack or bleed.
What are the Symptoms of a Deviated Septum?
Symptoms of include:
- the obstruction of one or both nostrils
- frequent nosebleeds
- facial pain/pressure
- dry mouth
- preference for sleeping on a particular side (to optimize breathing)
- patients’ concurrent awareness of the nasal cycle (noticing how the nose alternates from being obstructed on one side to the other)
The most common symptoms that prompt patients to consult with a rhinologist include nosebleed, recurring sinus infections and a blocked nostril that has not responded to typical treatment.
What Are the Causes?
Normally, a person’s nasal septum stays in the midline until about age seven. Then individuals may develop a deviated septum, where the nasal septum moves from the center of the nasal passages. However, a deviated septum can be caused by a birth defect—where a fetus’s nasal structure develops improperly and the deviation is apparent at when he or she is born.
Additionally, an injury to the nose can also cause a deviated septum, and is common in though who participate in contact sports, rough or active play, or in those who have been in a traumatic accident such as a car crash. With age, an already deviated septum can get worse over time, as the bone thins and the nasal tissues swell.
How is it Diagnosed & Treated?
Diagnosing a deviated septum involves a rhinologist like Dr. Kuperan shining a light into the nasal passages, or using a nasal speculum to open the nostrils. Sometimes, if a rhinologist must see further into the sinuses, they will use a scope with a lighted tip to see more of the nasal tissues and structures. After this exam, a rhinologist can determine if a patient has a deviated septum and the severity of the problem.
To treat a deviated septum, a rhinologist may start by trying to manage a patient’s symptoms. A rhinologist may prescribe decongestants, nasal steroid sprays or antihistamines to manage inflammation, drainage and allergies. While some patients with a deviated septum find relief with symptom management, medications do not actually correct a deviated septum. Thus many patients require further treatment.
Long-term deviated septum treatments involve surgical repair and reshaping the nose. During a surgical repair called a septoplasty, a rhinologist straightens the septum and repositions it in the center of the nose. Sometimes a rhinologist may have to also reshape a patient’s nose when trying to correct a deviated septum. This is known as a rhinoplasty and involves the surgeon modifying the bone and cartilage to change the shape or size of the nose.
Each case of a deviated septum is different, which is why it is important to contact us at Houston Advanced Nose & Sinus to get diagnosed and treated.