“Stop and smell the roses,” may be a cliché, but if you’re grappling with chronic nasal congestion or other symptoms that make it hard to breathe—you really may not be able to smell them.
One culprit for this could be a deviated septum. The bone and cartilage that divide the inside of our nose are called the nasal septum. In a perfect world, these two nasal passages would be equal in size. But, as with everything in life, not everything is created equal.
Roughly 80 percentof people have nasal septums that are off-center. The good news is that not everyone who has a deviated septum will have symptoms, but there are a few where this condition can make it hard to breathe and cause other problems too.
To better understand the signs and symptoms of this condition, we sought the expertise ofBruce Stewart，MD，耳朵，鼻子和喉咙医生在亚利桑那州的横幅健康。主頁(欢迎您)
What are the symptoms of a deviated septum?
“The most common symptom is nasal congestion—most often one nasal passage is worse, but bilateral congestion is possible,” Dr. Stewart said. “It can also increase your risk of sinus infections.”
If you believe you are among the few who might be experiencing problems, here are some warning signs to look out for:
- Difficulty breathing:您的鼻腔段落的错位可以使空气更加难以通过。
- Nasal congestion:Often congestion is worse on one side than the other and usually doesn’t improve with allergy pills or nasal sprays.
- Repeat sinus infections:The more clogged your airway might be, the more likely you could develop aninfection.
- Snoring和sleep apnea症状：Are you a mouth breather? If you have a hard time breathing during the day, you may havetrouble at nighttoo.
- Nosebleeds:如果空气没有穿过鼻腔通道，它可以留下鼻子干燥的那些湿膜，让你更容易发生流鼻血。
- Nasal pressure/headaches:As the pressure builds in your sinuses, you could suffer debilitating headaches, as well as pressure and pain around your nose and eyes.
What causes a deviated septum?
有些人诞生于它，因为他们的鼻子在子宫中开发了这种方式，而其他人则可能导致因伤害或创伤而导致 - 无论是在出生期间还是生命期间。
How is a deviated septum fixed (treated)?
Some mild cases can be treated with decongestants or nasal steroids, while others may require surgery, or septoplasty and/or rhinoplasty, to straighten the septum and nose. Your primary care provider or an ear, nose and throat specialist will examine your nose—inside and out—to determine next steps.
“A deviated septum doesn’t have to be treated, but if you are bothered by the symptoms you should be evaluated by an ear, nose and throat specialist,” Dr. Stewart said. “If you sustain a nasal injury and have urgent symptoms, such as persistent nosebleeds, severe pain, neurological or eye symptoms, you should seek immediate medical care.”
What can I expect post-surgery?
If non-surgical treatments aren’t successful, your doctor may recommend surgery. This type of procedure is performed in an outpatient setting.
“Some people do experience some pain, swelling and congestion the first week, but usually you’ll be up and ‘running’ about 1 to 2 weeks post-op,” Dr. Stewart said.
Schedule an Appointment
如果您怀疑您有一个偏离的隔膜，请咨询您的医生进行评估并没有伤害。得到你应得的照顾，所以你可以再次停止和闻到玫瑰。要找到横幅健康耳朵，鼻子和喉咙专家，参观主頁(欢迎您)bannerhealth.com.
Are your sinuses bothering you? Check out these related articles:All About Snoring - What Can You Do?—What Is Your Snot Telling You?—How to Recognize and Treat a Sinus Infection
