Deviated Nasal Septum (DNS)

What is Deviated Nasal Septum (DNS)

Deviated nasal septum means this wall is not centered in the middle of the nasal cavity.

Your septum is the wall of firm tissue (cartilage) inside your nose that separates the hollow space (nasal cavity) between your nostrils. Normally the septum is straight. It divides the nasal cavity into two parts.

Deviated septum can lead to stuffiness and other problems with the flow of air through your nose. It can also block your sinuses and keep them from draining properly. This can lead to repeated (chronic) sinus infections. Often, one side of the nose is affected more than the other.

What are the causes?

Causes of deviated septum include:

  • Injury to the face or nose.
  • Being born with the condition (congenital defect).

What increases the risk?

You may be at greater risk for deviated septum if you participate in contact sports. An injury to the face is more likely during contact sports.

What are the signs or symptoms?

A mildly deviated septum may not cause any symptoms. You may notice stuffiness and congestion only when you have a cold. Common symptoms of a more serious deviated septum include:

  • Difficulty breathing through the nose.
  • Blockage in one or both sides of the nose.
  • Nasal congestion or stuffy nose.
  • Frequent nosebleeds.
  • Frequent sinus infections (sinusitis).
  • Headache.
  • Facial pain.
  • Excess mucus at the back of the throat or nose (postnasal drip).
  • Noisy breathing while sleeping.

How is this diagnosed?

Your health care provider may suspect a deviated septum based on your symptoms or after an injury. Your health care provider will also do a physical exam to check the outside and inside of your nose. The health care provider may use a special instrument to widen your nostril (nasal speculum) and a bright light to check the inside of your nose. You may be referred to a health care provider who specializes in ear, nose, and throat disorders (ENTor otolaryngologist) for more tests and treatment.

How is this treated?

If your deviated septum is mild, you may not need treatment. If it is severe, you may need surgery to correct the deviated septum (septoplasty). Depending on the cause of your deviated septum, this procedure may be combined with sinus surgery or surgery to change the shape of your nose (rhinoplasty).

Follow these instructions at home:

  • Take medicines only as directed by your health care provider.
  • Perform nasal passage rinsing, if told to do so by your health care provider.
  • If you have trouble breathing through your nose at night, talk with your health care provider about ways to treat this.

Contact a health care provider if:

  • You have a painful sinus infection.
  • You have a fever.
  • You have sniffling, sneezing, or congestion that gets worse.
  • You have changes in your vision.
  • You have a severe headache that does not get better with treatment.
  • Your symptoms remain or get worse after treatment with antibiotics.
  • You snore or sleep poorly.

Get help right away if:

  • You have a nosebleed that does not stop after 10 minutes of applied pressure.
  • You have trouble breathing.
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