You may have a broken nose, but it’s not a serious injury, right? Think again. Here, we’ll discuss how nose fractures may be serious injuries, emergency care steps to take, and issues commonly associated with nasal fractures.
Nasal Fractures Are Serious Injuries
Broken noses only occur when you’ve received trauma to the head. Your nose may not be the only issue. You could have a concussion, a more serious traumatic brain injury, or a spinal cord injury. Depending on the severity you may go into shock or even sustain a traumatic brain injury. A broken nose may be a sign of a more serious underlying issue so it is important that you are evaluated by a healthcare professional.
Common Causes of Broken Noses
The most common causes of broken noses are sports injuries and car accidents. It’s especially easy to get a broken nose playing sports with little face protection, like hockey, basketball, and boxing.
Emergency Care for a Broken Nose
If you have a broken nose, it’s important to be evaluated immediately. But how do you know if you have a broken nose? Look for the following symptoms:
- Painful to touch
- Swelling on the nose and surrounding areas
- Bleeding from nostril
- Bruises on the nose and near the eyes
- Blocked nasal passage
- Sudden difficulty breathing
Immediately after breaking your nose, take these steps:
- Lean forward and breathe through your mouth to reduce the blood that drains into your throat
- Apply an ice pack to the area
If the symptoms are mild, set a virtual consultation with a physician
If you have any of the following symptoms, you’ll need to get to the emergency room immediately:
- Severe headache, neck pain, vomiting, or loss of consciousness
- Difficulty breathing
- Uncontrolled nasal bleeding
- Clear fluid draining from the nose
- Crooked nose
Common Issues With Nasal Fractures
Common complications from broken nasal bones include a deviated septum and/or septal hematoma. A deviated septum is where the dividing wall between the sides of your nose moves out of place. This shift then causes one of the nasal passages to narrow. Surgery is required to correct this condition.
Septal hematoma occurs when clotted blood in your nose expands and blocks one or both nostrils. Without prompt surgical drainage, this can cause cartridge damage.
All Broken Noses Don’t Require Surgery
Your nasal bones can often be manually reset by a doctor if it occurs within 14 days after the fracture. If the bones aren’t reset within 14 days, you’ll probably need surgery. Surgery is also necessary for severe breaks and nasal fractures accompanied by complicating conditions.
Rhinoplasty surgery may be necessary to correct a crooked nose or deviated septum caused by the nasal fracture.
We Can Help Make Your Broken Nose As Good as New
Good news is that even though your nose has been broken, it is fixable and your function can be restored. Please contact Dr. Julie Edween’s office if you are interested in corrective nasal surgery. Dr. Edween serves patients in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and greater Los Angeles, California. You can get started by calling us at 310.859.8885 today.