Deviated Nasal Septum And Its Homeopathic Management!

Deviated nasal septum starts around puberty reaches its full development at the age of 20 yrs. Common in both sexes. Many cases are hereditary. Lack of descent of the palate may cause buckling of the cartilaginous part of septum.

Causes:

• Septum grow at same rate like root. If septum start growing at rapid rate it becomes buckled to accommodate itself.

• Congenital cause: Abnormal intrauterine posture may result in compression forces acting on the nose & upper root.

• Trauma.

• Cause secondary to trauma, polyp in nose.

Pathology:

1) Deviation are smooth: Deflection which are upper, lower, anterior or posterior septum ( Isolated thickening on septum).

2) Spur: Occur at junction of base & cartilage may predispose to epistaxis from the vessel on their surface.

3) Thickening may result from trauma due to overriding of the cartilaginous fragments.

4) Dislocation: Displacement of the lower edge of the cartilage from the maxillary crust & the vom due to trauma.

The deviation may be 'C' shape, 'S' shape.

Symptoms:

• Blocking of nose.

• Sinusital headache secondary to obstruction to drainage of sinuses.

• Vacuum headache causes by vacuum created in Para nasal sinus due to obstruction in the drainage of the sinus resulting in absorption of the air by the mucosa of the sinus.

• Neurological headache when septum touches a sensitive part on the lateral wall of the nose.

• Recurrent rhinitis i.e. nose.

• Epistaxis: Little area the deviated side of the septum is exposed to atmospheric directly predisposing to drying and crusting of mucosa and tendency to pick the nose.

• Anosmia due to DNS, perforation of nose

Signs:

• Deformity of external nose.

• DNS

• Secondary hypertrophy of turbinate.

Complications:

• Recurrent sinusitis due to obstruction to drainage of sinus.

• Middle ear infection due to forcible blockening  of nose or recurrent upper respiratory infection.

• Mouth breathing causing infection of pharynx, larynx, trachebronchial tree.

• Asthma: DNS acts as trigger for bronchospasm.

• Atrophic rhinitis on the root side of nose.

Differential Diagnosis:

• Hypertrophied turbinate
• Polyps

Homoeopathic Materia Medica:

Allium Cepa : Sneezing, especially when entering a warm room. Copious, watery and extremely acrid discharge. Feeling of a lump at root of nose. Hay-fever. [Sabad.; Sil.; Psor.]. Fluent coryza with headache, cough, and hoarseness. Polypus. Catarrhal headache, mostly in forehead; worse in warm room towards evening.

< evening, warm room.

> open air, cold room.

Arsenic Album : Coryza with thin, watery, excoriating discharge. Nose feels stopped up. Sneezing without
relief. Hay-fever and coryza; worse in open air; better indoors. Burning and bleeding from nose. Headaches relieves by cold, other symptoms worse.

< wet weather, after midnight; from cold, cold drinks, or food. Seashore. Right side.

> from heat; from head elevated; warm drinks.

Arum Triphyllum: Acridity is the keynote of the kind of action characteristic of Arum. Soreness of nostrils. Acrid, excoriating discharge,
producing raw sores. Nose obstructed; must breathe through mouth. Boring in the nose. Coryza; discharge blood-streaked, watery. Nose completely
stopped, with fluent, acrid discharge. Hay-fever, with pain over root of nose. Large scabs high up on right side of nose. Face feels chapped, as if from cold wind; feels hot. Constant picking at nose until it bleeds. Headache from too warm clothing, from hot coffee.

< northwest wind, lying down.

Syphilinum: Indicated for Caries of nasal bones, hard palate and septum, with perforation; ozaena.

< at night, sundown to sunrise, seashore, in summer.

> inland and mountains, during day, moving about slowly.

Arundo: A remedy for catarrhal states & Hay-fever. Hay-fever begins with burning and itching of palate and conjunctiva. Annoying itching in the nostrils and roof of the mouth. Coryza; loss of smell. Sneezing, itching of nostrils.

Euphrasia: Patient is better in open air. Catarrhal affections of mucous membranes especially of eyes and nose. Profuse acrid lachrymation and bland coryza; worse, evening. Hawking up of offensive mucus.

< in evening, indoors, warmth; south winds; from light.

Ferrum Phos: Useful medicine for first stage of colds in the head. Predisposition to colds. Epistaxis; bright red blood. The typical Ferr.phos.
subject is nervous, sensitive, anemic with the false plethora and easy flushing of Ferrum. Indicted in pale, anaemic subjects, with violent local
congestions. Haemorrhages are bright from any orifice.

 < at night and 4 to 6 p.m.; touch, jar, motion, right side.

 > by cold applications.
 

Kali Iod: The profuse, watery, acrid coryza that the drug produces serves as a sure guiding symptom, especially when associated with pain in frontal sinus. Violent headache in which pain intense over eyes and root of nose. Nose is red, swollen. Tip of nose red; profuse, acrid, hot, watery, thin discharge. Ozaena, with perforated septum. Sneezing. Nasal catarrh, involving frontal sinus. Stuffiness and dryness of nose, without discharge. Profuse, cool, greenish,
unirritating discharges.

< warm clothing, warm room, at night, damp weather.

> motion, open air.

Nux Vomica: Indicated for stuffing up of nose < at night especially. Also useful for Stuffy colds, snuffles, after exposure to dry, cold atmosphere; worse, in warm room. Coryza is fluent in daytime; stuffed up at night and outdoors; or alternates between nostrils. Bleeding in morning. Acrid discharge, but with stuffed up feeling. Frontal headache, with desire to press the head against something.

< morning, mental exertion, after eating, touch, spices, stimulants, narcotics, dry weather, cold.

> from a nap, if allowed to finish it; in evening, while at rest, in damp, wet weather, strong pressure.

Silicea: There is Itching at point of nose. Dry, hard crusts form, bleeding when loosened. Nasal bones sensitive. Sneezing in morning. Obstructed and loss of smell. Perforation of septum. Headache in which pain begins at occiput, and spreads over head and settles over eyes. Silica patient is cold, chilly, hugs the fire, wants plenty warm clothing, hates drafts, hands and feet cold, worse in winter. Great sensitiveness to taking cold.

< new moon, in morning, from washing, during menses, uncovering, lying down, damp, lying on, left side, cold.

> warmth, wrapping up head, summer; in wet or humid weather.

Merc Sol: Useful for Cold & Coryza in which there is much sneezing, in sunshine. Coryza; acrid discharge, but too thick to run down the lip; worse, warm room. Nostrils raw, ulcerated; nasal bones swollen. Yellow-green, fetid, pus like discharge. Pain and swelling of nasal bones, and caries, with greenish fetid ulceration. Nosebleed < at night. Copious discharge of corroding mucus.

< at night, wet, damp weather, lying on right side, perspiring; warm room and warm bed.

Natrum Mur: Useful for violent, fluent coryza, lasting from one to three days, then changing into stoppage of nose, making breathing difficult.
Discharge thin and watery, like raw white of egg. Violent sneezing coryza. Infallible for stopping a cold commencing with sneezing.
Loss of smell and taste. Internal soreness of nose. Dryness. Frontal sinus inflammation.

< noise, music, warm room, lying down about 10 a. m;, at seashore, mental exertion, consolation, heat, talking.

> by open air, cold bathing, going without regular meals, lying on right side; pressure against back, tight clothing.

Aurum Mettalicum: Indicated for Ulcerated, painful, swollen, obstructed nose. Inflammation of nose; caries; fetid discharge, purulent, bloody. Boring
pains in nose; worse at night. Putrid smell from nose. Sensitive smell. Horrible odor from nose and mouth.
Knobby tip of nose.

< in cold weather when getting cold. Many complaints come on only in winter; from sunset to sunrise.

Alternative Treatment

Septoplasty surgery is a procedure whereby the deviation and/or crookedness in the nasal cartilage and bone is corrected so the airflow through the nose improves and breathing becomes easier.