Introduction
The septum is the cartilage which sits in the middle of the nose separating the right and left nostrils. Having a bent septum is very common, the statistics demonstrate that somewhere in the order of 96% of people have some degree of bend in the septum which may or may not cause problems
Causes
There are 2 main causes of having a bent septum:
- Congenital – The way your nose has grown is a very common cause of having a bend in your septum.
- Broken nose – When you have trauma to your nose it is very common that you may have fractured your septum. Even minor trauma can cause a fracture of the septal cartilage.
Symptoms
Many people have no symptoms from having a deviated septum, and if this is the case then nothing needs to be done about it. Symptoms which a deviated septum may cause include:
- Blocked nose
- Deformity of nose
Diagnosis
Dr Robinson will examine your nose with a nasonendoscope to see if you have a deviated septum. If you do have a deviated septum and it is causing problems with breathing then it is an option to have either a septoplasty or a functional rhinoplasty
Treatment Options
In general, there are 2 treatments for a deviated septum – either a septoplasty which means to straighten the septum, or a functional rhinoplasty which means to reconstruct the septum entirely. Dr Robinson will discuss these treatment options with you at the time of your consultation.
