Hm..Deviated Septum?

[JadeSmith]

Okay so...

I'm 19 and have had my nose for my whole life

I'd say it's a normal nose, but I have a pretty big bump in it.

And ever since I was around 10 years old, I have had a LOT of nasal problems.

 

I would get random nose bleeds out of no where...constant congestion...and migranes like you wouldn't believe.

My doctor seemed to think it was just me "growing" but now that I've gotten older and done some research, it looks to me like I might have a deviated septum.

 

Sometimes I'll catch myself having to flare my nostrils to get enough air.

Actually, I do that all the time.

My friends are like..."does something smell bad?" "uhm no?" "You're flaring your nostrils!"

lol things like that.

And I'll have to take big gulps of air through my mouth from time to time cause it just feels like I'm not getting the proper air I should be getting through my nose.

 

So does anyone think this could be a deviated septum?

What are ways to go about it? Treatments and stuff?

[lilypadgirl]

I have exactly the same symptoms (so does my dad). He has a deviated septum (confirmed by doctor) and I suspect I do as well.

 

You need to go to a doctor and get it confirmed. The more permanent solution is surgery, but there are other ways as well such as neti pots to rinse your nose for congestion, allergy pills to prevent congestion, and breathing masks for night time.

 

Personally, I'm waiting for my insurance from my new job to kick in and then I will get (minor) surgery.

[In the Dark]

I have a deviated septum.....some clown head butted me in the face when I was in a fight.

If the piece of cartilage in your nose is crooked, it can block off either one or both nasal passages and allergies do not help.

 

The only way to correct it is surgery and apparently it's a bit of a painful recovery.

[lilypadgirl]

Inthedark: How long did it take you to recover?

[stingray]

I have a severe case of this where I can only get air through one nostril but I am afraid of the painful process.

[In the Dark]

Inthedark: How long did it take you to recover?

 

Mine is not a severe case so nothing had to be done about it.

Sometimes it will get hard to breathe through one side but otherwise no major.

[lilypadgirl]

Oh I see...I misunderstood you to have gotten the surgery. Sorry!

 

I'm scared of the surgery, but like JadeSmith, I've been dealing with this for all my life and it'd be nice to be able to get a full gulp of air.

[stingray]

I heard they have to break your nose to fix it, I am scared they are going to place it improperly.

[In the Dark]

Well think of it this way.

It's basically a nose job.

 

I'm uncertain if bones in the nose need to be broken.

Possibly if the nose is severely out of line causing the septum to deviate off to one side or the other.

 

I have always had problems breathing through my nose, so having this issue is not a problem to me and seems minor.

[JadeSmith]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Although my nose isn't deviated to the side...it deviates upward. lol

Like I said, there's a bump right in the middle of my nose, so basically the air has to kind of curve upward along with the bump instead of just going straight back...

which then obviously causes restricted air flow.

 

I also kind of looked at it like a nose job myself.

If the bump is shaved down or whatever they do, surely the airflow will be corrected, right?

[SnowFox]

If the doc determines they need to fix your deviated septum, they can also shape the outside of the nose at the same time. So it would be a medically necessary procedure and a cosmetic procedure combined into one.

 

If you have insurance, it may cover part of the cost of surgery due to the deviated septum issue.

[stingray]

It has gotten really bad to the point I can't sleep at night and wake up gasping for air. My septum has deviated so far to the left the right nostril is blocked 100%.

[lilypadgirl]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Although my nose isn't deviated to the side...it deviates upward. lol

Like I said, there's a bump right in the middle of my nose, so basically the air has to kind of curve upward along with the bump instead of just going straight back...

which then obviously causes restricted air flow.

 

I also kind of looked at it like a nose job myself.

If the bump is shaved down or whatever they do, surely the airflow will be corrected, right?

 

That's my problem too. I have that bump as well. This may seem silly, but I feel like when I press down on the bump, I can breathe so much better. For me, getting surgery will kill two birds with one stone...breathing and cosmetic. Although the former alone is enough reason for me.

[In the Dark]

Bump on the top/middle of your nose?

You mean the bridge?

 

That is a natural thing to have.

 

I'm unsure if the septum is deviated then.

Possibly something else.

Poorly shaped nasal passages?

[JadeSmith]

Bump on the top/middle of your nose?

You mean the bridge?

 

That is a natural thing to have.

 

I'm unsure if the septum is deviated then.

Possibly something else.

Poorly shaped nasal passages?

 

Yeah right in the middle I'd say.

But I'm almost positive that it's a deviated septum.

It's actually visible...when I shine a light in my nose and look through my nostrils, you can see a pink bump or wall in my right nostril that isn't there in my left.

 

And I can blow and breathe in more air through my left nostril than I can my right, haha.

[_Asti_]

My boyfriend had surgery three years ago to correct his deviated septum. He had it broken many times from fighting.

 

It really didn't do much. His breathing is still pretty crummy. He's looking into going to a larger city and seeing if they can do something more for it.