Top Health Tips on Treating a Deviated Septum

The nasal septum divides the nose into the two nostrils or airways. When this septum is defective in structure or position, it can cause several physical difficulties like breathing problems, sleep apnea, bleeding, sinusitis, etc. The surgery to correct the nasal septum is known as septoplasty. The surgery is very common and has a high rate of success.

Reason

When the bone and cartilage separating the two chambers is crooked and deformed, it prevents the air from flowing properly through either one of the nostrils. The people suffering from this condition often take to breathing through their mouth and this leads to respiratory tract infections. So, the septum is fixed with the help of septoplasty.

Procedure

1. First, your medical history is taken, a thorough physical examination is conducted and the nose is photographed from the inside and the outside. You may also be asked to avoid medication like ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin for a few days since these can increase the bleeding after surgery.

2. Septoplasty is performed under general or localized anesthesia and takes about 90 minutes. Incisions are made on the inside of the nose and the mucus membrane is lifted.

3. Then, the pieces of cartilage that are affecting normal functioning are repositioned or removed.

4. If the nasal bone is causing the septum to be wrongly aligned, then cuts are made on the bone and it is positioned correctly.

5. Sometimes, cartilage grafts (called spreader grafts) are put in between the upper nose cartilage and the septum to widen the narrow nostril.

6. After this, the mucus membrane is put back in place and stitched.

Post- surgical care

A nasal support is put inside the nose to help it heal and keep it straight. The support is removed after two days but there may be swelling and occasional nasal discharge for a few days. The tissues and cartilage become stable within 4 to 6 months.
You are asked not to blow your nose or cough and sneeze too much as these might displace the nasal support.The head is to be kept at a higher level than the rest of the body while sleeping and physically demanding exercises are to be avoided in order to prevent nosebleeds.

Risks

Septoplasty is not performed if the patient had high level of blood sugar or high blood pressure. It is also delayed in case of any kind of infection in the nose, mouth or in the respiratory tract.

A quite common condition that may or may not cause a difficulty is the Deviated Nasal Septum. While most do not show any symptoms, some may experience noisy breathing, nasal congestion, or nose bleeding.
Nasal septum deviation is a physical disorder of the nose. It is a condition when the thin wall which is referred to as nasal septum located between the nasal passages is deviated or displaced to any one of the sides which makes one of the nasal passage reduce in size obstructing the air flow and causing trouble with breathing.

Causes of Deviated Nasal Septum
In cases of slight deviation of the nasal septum, it generally goes unnoticed since it does not result in any significant difficulties. In some cases, even if there is a slight difficulty in breathing, the individuals think that it might be due to a cough and cold which blocks the nose.

One of the leading causes of deviated nasal septum might be due to the condition that was present at the time of the birth of the individual. A deviated nasal septum might occur during the fetal development which is apparent at the time of birth.
The second cause of this condition might be as a result of an injury to the nose which causes the nasal septum to move out of its normal position. The injury might be caused by any accident, contact sports, active play, etc.
Symptoms of Deviated Nasal Septum
In most of the cases of the septal deformities, there are no visible symptoms, but in some cases, there arise some symptoms from which a deviated nasal septum can be confirmed. First and foremost, there is an obstruction in any one or both of the nostrils which make it very difficult to breathe. This might be more noticeable when the individual catches a cold or any allergies that cause the nasal passages to swell. Another prominent symptom is the bleeding of nausea which is caused when the surface of the septum becomes dry. In some cases, facial pain is experienced particularly in the area near the nose or inside the nose. A noisy breathing during the sleep can be another symptom of the deviated nasal septum.

Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum
The treatment is usually carried out by Ear - Nose - Throat specialist (ENT). The first procedure for treatment is the decongestants which are the medication used for the reduction of the swelling of the nasal tissue that helps to allow free flow of air. Antihistamines are another type of medicines used to treat this condition which helps in the prevention of allergies that includes a runny nose, blocked nose or obstruction. Nasal steroid sprays are also used to reduce any kind of inflammation of the nasal passage. In extreme cases, surgical repair needs to be done. In such cases, Septoplasty which is a surgery used to repair or correct deviated nasal septum is performed.

Thus, when you experience symptoms, deviated nasal septum can be diagnosed and treated effectively.

Sleep is the most important aspect for a healthy beign, but for kids it is of utmost priority. Lack of sleep can often have a negative impact on the brain funtioning of kids along with accidents. Listed below are the major sleep disorders in children along with their causative factors:
1. Sleepwalking: It is not uncommon for children under the age of 10 to sleep walk. Despite being harmless on its own, the effects of sleep walking can be dangerous such as stepping outdoors or hurting themselves during sleep. If the child runs into objects while sleep walking, they might wake up and hence further worsen the situation.
2. Nightmares: They might be general or result from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Nightmares, if frequent, can make falling asleep a tedious task. Nightmares in children are common and they usually begin to reduce in frequency by 9 years of age.
3. Obstructive sleep apnea: Snoring might be the result of improper respiration while sleeping and while it isn t a cause of worry, regular snoring might lead to insufficient oxygen during sleep, thus making shut eye a challenge. It might be hereditary or the result of a deviated nasal septum or blocked nose. The snoring might hamper the quality of sleep.
4. Bedwetting: This is something most children experience, but usually grow out of by the time they turn six. It doesn t need to be a cause of concern unless the frequency doesn t reduce over time and more than two instances of bedwetting take place in a week.
5. Insomnia in children: It can be due to a host of factors and coping with changes to their normal lifestyle is one of the biggest triggers. Mental disorders such as anxiety and stress due to a variety of reasons (like the death of a loved one) may also be the cause of distress and lead to troubled or incomplete sleep.
6. Excessive daytime sleepiness: Excess naps throughout the day, always feeling lethargic or experiencing trouble waking up in the morning may be symptomatic of EDS. It isn t uncommon in adults either wherein despite apparent proper sleep; energy levels seem to be low throughout the day.

Hello everyone!

I am Dr. Vivek Kumar Pathak, MBBS MS - ENT specialist. Today I am going to discuss about deviated nasal septum. So what is deviated nasal septum? First of all we have to know that what is nasal septum? Nasal septum is a partition between the nasal cavity which divides the left nasal cavity and the right nasal cavity. Nasal septum comprises of the cartilage part and the bony part. The cartilage is called as the septal cartilage or quadrilateral cartilage. Sometimes during the development of the body and face, the nasal septum becomes deviated specially at the time of 17 to 18 years and the patient develop certain symptoms. The symptoms can be nasal obstruction, there can be recurrent episodes of sinusitis, there can be bleeding from the nose. So asymptomatic deviated nasal septum has to be corrected. The treatment of deviated nasal septum can be done by operation called as septoplasty, Septoplasty is the correction of the deviated part of the nasal septum.

It can be done endoscopically or it can be done by open surgery. Nowadays we are preferring endoscopy surgery for the nasal septum deviation. Any patient who is having all these symptoms with deviated nasal septum, the septoplasty can be done. It is done in our centre. Anyone who is having the symptoms, is having deviated nasal septum can get corrected by septoplasty which is simple procedure which can be done under local anaesthesia and if the patient is apprehensive, it can be done under general anaesthesia.

Thanks!

What Is Rhinoplasty?

Rhinoplasty is colloquially known as a nose job . It is a cosmetic surgery conducted to reshape the nose. The corrective surgery is performed to make the nose smaller or larger, correct the bump, the angles in relation to the upper lip, indentations and other defects relating to the tip of the nose.

Rhinoplasty can be conducted using general or local anaesthesia. Rhinoplasty can correct the structure of the nose if it causes difficulty in breathing. Rhinoplasty can also improve the physical appearance after an injury or disease.

A Few Myths About Rhinoplasty

Cosmetic rhinoplasty is meant for rich and vain people.
Anaesthesia can be dangerous.
Dissatisfaction with nose shape or size can be eradicated completely.
Rhinoplasty needs to be performed more than once.
Rhinoplasty creates a drastic and extremely noticeable transformation of the nose.
Rhinoplasty is most definitely covered by insurance.
Rhinoplasty can cause scars, stitches and bruises on the nose.
Any plastic surgeon can perform rhinoplasty.
Rhinoplasty is a simple surgery.
Rhinoplasty is a very painful procedure.
A Few Facts About Rhinoplasty

The demand for rhinoplasty is rising by leaps and bounds every day.
Rhinoplasty is not just a cosmetic procedure to look good. It is known to correct some real nasal disorders. Swellings, breathing issues due to a deviated septum or other structural problems that cause pain and respiratory troubles can be fixed by rhinoplasty.
There are different techniques used for men and women. The structure of a man s nose differs slightly from a woman s, in terms of angles and slopes. These are determined and corrected by expert and experienced plastic surgeons.
The discomfort after the surgery is mild and moderate. Most patients recover in a couple of hours. In major surgery case, it takes a day.
Rhinoplasty is fairly affordable.
Insurance covers can be claimed when the surgery is not for cosmetic purpose, but for genuine corrective purpose.
Rhinoplasty can help to make minor corrections as well, without causing drastic or obvious changes.
Anaesthesia performed during the surgery rarely causes any long term complication. It is relatively safe.

A Nasal reconstruction surgery is required to correct deformities in the nasal area formed as a result of birth defects, injuries, trauma etc. It is also used to correct missing parts of the nasal anatomy if required. Recent developments in techniques such as microsurgery, expansion of the tissue and so on, have helped surgeons improve the methods of nasal reconstruction surgery to a great extent. At this point, a patient has a great number of reconstruction methods to choose from, depending on his/her particular case.

Types of Nasal Reconstruction Surgery:

Local flaps
Regional flaps
Secondary Intention Healing
Simple Suture closure
Skin grafts
One stage nasolabial flap
Two stage nasolabial flap
Forehead flap
Bone and Cartilage frame work reconstruction
Indicators of the need for Nasal Reconstruction surgery

One indicator of the need for this type of surgery is fractures in the nose that have changed the shape of the organ. Patients opt for this kind of surgery in order to improve their overall appearance.
Another indicator is fractures or other deformities that lead to breathing problems. Living with such problems is difficult; hence it is important to get nasal reconstruction surgery.
The presence of the Deviated Nasal Septum prevents proper breathing and increases vulnerability to ENT infections. Nasal reconstruction surgery can be used to fix this problem.
Deformities formed as a result of treatment of skin cancer can be fixed with the help of nasal reconstruction surgery.
Things to know about recovering from Nasal Reconstruction Surgery

Medication taken orally can help to counter the discomfort experienced right after a nasal reconstruction surgery.
Usually, splints are used inside the nose during the surgery. These are generally removed within a week.
Patients are able to get up and walk about within a few days. Normal daily activities may be resumed upon the doctor's instructions.
At times, a swelling may be observed in the nasal area, but this goes away within a few weeks.

A surgical procedure that is done to alter a deviated septum is called Septoplasty. When the cartilage in the middle of your nose is deviated and is out of position, it can create problems like pain in the nose, problems in breathing and nosebleeds. Septoplasty aims to correct the alignment of the septum so as to improve the airflow and rectify any breathing problem. This surgery is generally an outpatient procedure and can be done with general or local anaesthesia.

The septum is the cartilage that causes the division between the two nostrils. When the alignment of the septum falters, it is called a deviated septum. If the septum shifts to one side, then the size of one of the nostrils reduces and causes breathing troubles. Some people are born with a deviation in the septum, but often times it can be caused by an injury to the nose as well. Surgery is the only means to correct this deformity.

What are the risks associated with septoplasty?
Septoplasty is major surgery, and just like any other surgery, it has its risks. The risks may include heavy bleeding, adverse reaction to anaesthetics used or infection of the site of surgery. The other risks that are associated with septoplasty include

Profuse bleeding
Decrease in olfactory senses
Change in the shape of your nose
A perforation in the septum
Temporary sensation of numbness of facial area due to the effects of anaesthetics
Collection of blood in the nasal space, which needs special medical attention to be drained out
Sometimes the symptoms such as blocked nose, bleeding etc. may persist even after undergoing the surgery.
How to recover from the surgery?
After the surgical procedure, your doctor may ask you to take precautions in order to reduce the chances of swelling and bleeding. Depending upon the severity of the surgery, your doctor may advise you to abide by all of the restrictions such as:

Curbing on activities such as aerobics and jogging which can put a strain on your body. This precaution is practised to maintain normal blood pressure in order to avoid nosebleeds
Do not blow your nose
Avoid wearing clothes that you have to take off by pulling over your nose to avoid brushing against it
Put your head on an elevated platform when sleeping

A broken nose, often referred to as a fractured nose or a nasal fracture, it is a crack or break in the bones of your nose. The bone that is more prone to getting fractured is the one over the bridge of the nose.

Causes:
There can be a lot of reasons for a broken nose. Common causes include falling down on your face or the nose being hit by a blunt object. Your nose may look twisted and you might have trouble breathing. A nasal fracture can cause pain in the nose and is usually accompanied by bruising and inflammation around the nose.
Any activity that tends to increase the possibility of facial injuries can also increase the possibility of a nasal fracture. The common risk factors include playing contact sports like soccer or rugby without proper face protection. Riding a two wheeler without a helmet or not using seat belt in a four wheeler can cause a nasal fracture if the vehicle meets with an accident. Physical fights can also result in a broken nose.

Symptoms and complications:
The common symptoms of a nasal fracture are:

Pain in the nasal region. You may feel pain just by touching your nose.
Swelling around the nasal region can also be observed.
Your nose and the region below the eyes may be bruised.
Sometimes you may experience breathing problems as well, since your nasal passage can be blocked due to a nasal fracture.
Loss of shape of your nose along with bleeding and discharge of mucus from it are common signs of a nasal fracture.
There can be a lot of complications that can occur due to a broken nose. The complications may vary according to the nature of injury.

The common complications are:

Clotting and collection of blood. Due to a heavy injury to your nose, the blood tends to clot in large quantities and sometimes can cause blockages in the nostrils. This condition is specifically referred to as septal hematoma and needs a quick surgical procedure to prevent any sort of breathing problems.
Another complication that can result due to a nasal fractures nasal cartilage fracture or a deviation in the septum.
Sometimes the impact of the blow, which has caused a fracture in the nose can also result in a neck injury.

Sinus disease leads to chronic illness reducing the productivity of life grossly for years. Any ailment can cause a breakdown of one's overall well-being due to the onslaught of related symptoms, and sinus problem is no different. Sinusitis refers to inflammation or swelling of the tissue that lines the sinus, which are passages filled with air and lie in the nasal tract.

Sometimes, these passages get blocked with germs, fluid and other elements that can give rise to infections and allergic reactions. Here are the ways in which this condition can affect your health:

Related ailments: One of the most common outcomes of sinus blockage is common cold, which can happen when the passages do not get proper movement of air. Further, it can also cause allergic rhinitis which is also known as hay fever and comes with its own set of symptoms like a runny nose, blocked nose and ears, watery eyes and other signs. A build-up of nasal polyps can also take place in the blocked path of the sinus, while the nasal cavity can also shift, causing a deviated septum.
Pain: We have many sinuses that are located in various parts of our head, including the areas above and below the eyes. As a part of the sinus attack, one may experience pain and fluid fullness in these areas. These regions can ache when there is a sinus infection. This pain can also be caused by the dull pressure exerted by inflammation, and the pain can then travel down to jaws, teeth and even between eyes.
Headaches: The constant pressure and persistent pain in the various areas containing the sinus can lead to long term headaches which will be at their worst in the mornings. This is due to the fact that the fluids have been accumulating throughout the night. These headaches can get worse if there is a change in the temperature.
Congestion: Congestion is also a common symptom of sinus infection. The swollen sinuses can lead to constrictions in the nasal passage, which can obstruct normal breathing. This will lead to congestion, which can also affect the senses of taste and smell.
Cough and discharge: A patient suffering from a sinus infection may end up blowing his or her nose more often than normal. This will usually happen because a yellowing greenish discharge will drain into the nasal passages on a regular basis during the infection. When this discharge bypasses the nasal tract and reaches the throat, it can also cause persistent coughing. It is best to ask for medical intervention and practice steaming to relive the painful symptoms of this condition.

Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum

Homeopathic Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum
Acupuncture & Acupressure Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum
Psychotherapy Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum
Conventional / Allopathic Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum
Surgical Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum
Dietary & Herbal Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum
Other Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum
What is Deviated Nasal Septum
Symptoms of Deviated Nasal Septum
Causes of Deviated Nasal Septum
Risk factors of Deviated Nasal Septum
Complications of Deviated Nasal Septum
Lab Investigations and Diagnosis of Deviated Nasal Septum
Precautions & Prevention of Deviated Nasal Septum
Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum

Homeopathic Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum

Homeopathic Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum will remove the side effects which you face such as the sinus infection, congestion, nose bleeds and headaches. It helps sinus congestion that triggers a lot of pressure in the head. Some of the homeopathic remedies for deviated nasal septum are:

Kali bi
Silicea
Calcarea
Pulsatilla

Conventional / Allopathic Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum

In the allopathic treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum, the medications used are Decongestants, Antihistamines and Nasal steroid sprays. These medications reduce nasal congestion, helping to keep the airways on both sides of your nose open. They also help to prevent many cold and allergy symptoms, including runny nose. Corticosteroid sprays can reduce inflammation in your nasal passage and help prevent a runny nose.

Surgical Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum

The surgical procedure to correct a Deviated Nasal Septum is Septoplasty. During septoplasty, your nasal septum is repositioned in the center of your nose. This may require your surgeon to cut and remove parts of your septum before reinserting it in the proper position.

Dietary & Herbal Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum

Eat less dairy products
Eat diet rich in magnesium and calcium
Other Treatment of Deviated Nasal Septum

Boil water in a container and take steam from it regularly. This will help clear the nasal passage
Deep breathing exercises help to remove blockage from the nose

What is Deviated Nasal Septum?

A deviated nasal septum occurs when the thin wall between your nostrils is displaced to one side. A centered septum allows air to flow equally through each nostril. In a deviated nasal septum the wall is not centered..

Symptoms of Deviated Nasal Septum

Obstruction of one or both nostrils
Nose bleeding
Headache
Facial pain
Noisy breathing during sleep
Frequent or recurring sinus infections

Causes of Deviated Nasal Septum

It occurs during fetal development and is apparent at birth
Injury that causes the nasal septum to be knocked out of position

Risk factors of Deviated Nasal Septum

Not wearing your seat belt while riding in a motorized vehicle
Contact sports without appropriate protective headgear

Complications of Deviated Nasal Septum

Nasal obstruction
Sinus infections
Nosebleeds
Facial pain and headaches
Diagnosis of Deviated Nasal Septum

The doctor will ask about your symptoms such as nosebleeds or nasal congestion and ask whether you ve had any trauma to your nose and also ask about your medical history. A physical exam will be done. The doctor will examine the nasal passages. A nasal speculum will hold the nose open. A thin telescope is passed into the nose.

Precautions & Prevention of Deviated Nasal Septum

Wear a helmet when playing contact sports, such as football and hockey
Wear seat belts in automobiles and airplanes