We often take our noses for granted unless we have an issue with the centerpiece of our face! I have a cousin who had a really cute and little piglet styled nose. She was adorable but apparently she did not like her nose. As it turned out, she was born without a bone in her nose so decided to do research to see what could be done. I researched the nose myself on a random night of not being able to sleep, and came across some interesting information about nasal trauma and decided it was informative enough to share here!
Nasal Trauma after an Injury
Nasal trauma is an injury that occurs to the nose and the supporting areas around it. Whether these injuries are internal or external, they can lead to nasal trauma. Your nose is more vulnerable to injuries due to its location that makes its bones, soft tissue, and cartilage.
It is common to sustain nose injuries when playing contact sports like football, soccer, and basketball. A fractured nose means that the cartilage or the bone broke due to a direct blow. This is considered one of the most common face fractures that happen when the frontal part of the facial bones separates. It could also be due to the cartilage separation within the nose. In some cases, the injury can include both.
The Common Types of Nasal Trauma
• Fractures
• Nosebleeds
• Chemical irritation
• Injuries to the inner side of the nose
• Obstruction
The nose contains numerous blood vessels that are near the surface. Due to this, it is common to have nosebleeds with nasal trauma. You can also get other symptoms and the kind of treatment will depend on your symptoms and condition.
Symptoms of Nasal Trauma
These symptoms can range from mild to extreme. This depends on the type and severity of the injury. Some of them include:
• Prolonged bleeding
• Severe pain in and around the nose
• Inflammation
• Labored nasal breathing
• A clear fluid flowing from your nose
• Bruising around the eyes
• Face inflammation especially around the nose
• A distorted nose
• Loss of sense of smell
Nasal Trauma Causes
Normally, external nasal trauma is as a result of force applied on the nose. Some of the common external causes are:
• Sports injuries
• Car accidents
• Falls
• Physical abuse or attack
You can also suffer from internal nasal trauma. This happens when the blood vessels or cartilage in the nose are damaged. The common causes of such injuries include:
• Irritation from inhaling harmful substances
• Nose piercings infections
• Sniffing of illegal drugs
• Frequent picking or scratching the inside of the nose
• Having foreign objects stuck in the nose especially in children
Complications Associated with a Broken Nose
Mostly, broken noses heal on their own without any issues. However, problems might occur including:
• An altered nose shape and size. It can also become crooked or bent. In case of multiple injuries, especially in children, the tissue and nose structure might suffer damage, which can lead to long-term problems.
• Labored breathing and nose stiffness
• A nose infection like sinuses or one that affects the bones in your face
• A deformity of the nasal septum
• Perforation in the septum
• An extreme infection like meningitis or brain abscess
How Nasal Trauma is Treated
In most cases, a minor case of nasal trauma can be treated at home with first and home remedies. However, in some situations, professional treatment is required. Depending on how severe your injury is, your physician will recommend a treatment plan that suits you. Some of these treatments might include:
First Aid and Home Care Treatment
In case you suffer a minor nosebleed, take the following steps to treat it:
• Sit in an upright position and lean forward to lower the nose’s blood pressure
• Using your fingers, pinch both the nostrils at the soft area for at least 5 minutes
• While you continue with the above steps, breathe through the mouth while keeping the head higher than your heart. Do not pick or blow the nose for the next couple of hours.
Treating a Blunt-Force Nasal Trauma
• Take ice and apply it for around 10 to 20 minutes at one time throughout the day for a couple of days. To avoid getting frostbite, wrap the ice in a thin cloth.
• Take OTC anti-inflammatory pain medications like ibuprofen
• Elevate your head while sleeping to lower pain and inflammation
• In case you suspect that your nose is broken, consult a doctor
Removing a Foreign Object from the Nose
• Try to blow the object gently from the nose by closing the nostril that has not been affected
• If you can see the object, try to use tweezers to gently grab and remove it
• If the above steps are not successful, see a doctor. Refrain from picking at the object or using a cotton swab or any other tool.
Cauterization and Packing
Most nosebleeds can be treated at home. However, if it lasts for more than 20 minutes or recurs from time to time, consider seeing a doctor. This kind of a nosebleed might need further tests to determine its cause.
The most common nosebleeds treatments are cauterization and packing. With packing, the physician places gauze or an inflatable balloon inside a single or both the nostrils in order to exert pressure on the damaged blood vessels. This helps arrest the bleeding. Alternatively, the physician can use cauterization to arrest nosebleeds. Here, topical medicine is applied to the damaged vessels. A physician can use a heating device to close them.
Medication
Depending on severity of the injury causing the trauma, the physician will recommend OTC or prescription medicines that will help in treating the problem. Some of the medicines you might be recommended include:
• Pain relievers to reduce discomfort
• Antibiotics to treat infections
• Nasal sprays that minimize irritation
Surgery
In case the nasal fracture is severe, you might need to undergo surgery in order to repair it. For example, there is a technique known as reduction that involves the doctor pushing the broken parts of the bone back into their place. This procedure is simple and can be done in the doctor’s office using local anesthesia.
Alternatively, the surgeon might need to take you to the theater to complete this procedure using general anesthesia. Normally, you will need to wait for a few days for the swelling to go down before the bone can be aligned properly. After the surgery, you will need to use an external nose splint to help stabilize your nose.
In some cases, however, patients require extensive reconstructive surgery to treat a nasal fracture. In case the fracture comes with a clear fluid flowing from the nose, the patient will need to be admitted to a hospital. This is known as cerebrospinal fluid, which will be dealt with by inserting a drain in the lumbar area to change the direction of the spinal fluid away from the nose.
If you need a nose surgeon in New Jersey, visit Becker Rhinoplasty Center. Dr. Daniel Becker is a qualified rhinoplasty surgeon with extensive experience, and his philosophy is making clients happy always. To know more about him, visit website at https://www.therhinoplastycenter.com
As for my cousin with the piglet nose… she ended up having a bone piece shaved from her rib, and they were able to give her nose more structure with the procedure!
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