If you might have a deviated septum, it signifies that the skinny wall that divides your nasal cavity is off-center. This condition is surprisingly common – as much as 80% of individuals have a deviated septum.
A deviated septum doesn’t at all times cause problems. And sometimes, people don’t even know they’ve one. But sometimes the symptoms of a deviated septum might be more serious and affect the standard of your life.
The excellent news is that there are methods to get bothersome symptoms under control. So, what’s the perfect treatment for a deviated septum? What happens if you happen to don’t treat a deviated septum? Read on to find out about effective treatments.
Find out how to treat a deviated septum at home
A deviated septum reduces the quantity of space in certainly one of your nasal passages – sometimes by a bit, and sometimes by loads. If you might have a really small nasal passage, it’s more likely that your nasal passage will get blocked, and you’ll have bothersome symptoms.
But a nasal deviation isn’t the one reason why you could have nasal symptoms. If the tissues lining the within your nose are swollen or inflamed, it might make a small space even smaller – and this could make nasal congestion and respiratory problems even worse.
Treatments for the inflammation and swelling in your nasal cavity won’t fix a deviated septum but they will decrease or eliminate your symptoms – and reduce your possibilities of nasal polyps, chronic sinusitis and other conditions that affect your nose. Options may include:
Treating allergies and asthma
Respiratory conditions increase inflammation and swelling in your nose. That’s why managing the symptoms of allergies or asthma could be very vital to individuals with a deviated septum.
For those who’re undecided if you might have allergies or if you happen to’ve been unable to get your symptoms under control, make an appointment along with your primary care doctor.
Nasal corticosteroid sprays
Nasal sprays are used to scale back swelling within the nose and may help with drainage. These sprays are generally secure to take day by day, however it’s at all times an excellent idea to confer with your doctor before taking any latest medication. Popular brands of over-the-counter corticosteroid sprays include Flonase, Rinocort and Nasacort.
Decongestants
Decongestants reduce the swelling in your nose, helping to open up your airways. But decongestants shouldn’t be used for greater than a couple of days in a row with no doctor’s suggestion. Regular use of decongestants can increase your blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar levels. Plus, it’s possible to turn into depending on decongestants and your symptoms will worsen if you happen to stop taking them.
Antihistamines
Antihistamines may help prevent a stuffy or runny nose. While normally used for allergies, these medicines can sometimes help for nonallergic conditions. The downside is that they will make you drained and limit your ability to drive or perform physical activities.
Using a humidifier
Dry air can irritate the liner of your nose. Using a humidifier moistens the air, calming your nasal passages and making it easier to breathe.
Saline rinses
Using a neti pot or saline spray moistens the nasal passages and reduces inflammation. You possibly can buy neti pots and saline sprays within the pharmacy or online.
Quitting smoking
Amongst those that have a deviated septum, smokers have more severe symptoms than nonsmokers and need to make use of more medications to get their symptoms under control. That’s because smoking reduces your body’s natural defenses and irritates the nasal passages. Quitting smoking may help reduce nasal inflammation – and improve the standard of your life in countless other ways.
Are you able to fix a deviated septum without surgery?
While you possibly can manage the symptoms of a deviated septum with home treatment, it’s normally impossible to repair a deviated septum without surgery. The exception is a deviated septum brought on by a recent injury.
For those who’re in a position to see an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor inside 48 hours, it’s possible that they could have the ability to push the septum back in place. But don’t attempt to fix your nasal septum yourself since you could cause additional damage.
Surgical options for a deviated septum
If home remedies for a deviated septum don’t provide relief, it could be time to think about surgery to repair your deviated septum. So, what’s deviated septum surgery?
Septoplasty to repair your deviated septum
The surgery to correct a deviated septum known as a septoplasty.
The procedure doesn’t normally change the surface shape of your nose, somewhat it fixes what’s happening inside your nose. But in case your septum is incredibly crooked, it’s possible that the surgery will make your nose straighter.
Septoplasty involves straightening the nasal septum and repositioning it in the middle of your nose. As a part of the procedure, your doctor might have to chop out parts of the septum before placing them in the suitable position. They can also use cartilage grafts to correct the deviation.
After they’ve repaired your deviated septum, your doctor may place splints or soft plastic sheets inside your nose to assist the septum heal straight.
The surgery itself normally takes about an hour and is performed under local or general anesthesia. At HealthPartners, our surgeons work with you to decide on the sedation that matches your needs and preferences. We’ll make certain you are as comfortable as possible during surgery.
Rhinoplasty to vary the form of your nose
People sometimes decide to have a cosmetic procedure called a rhinoplasty concurrently their septoplasty surgery. This combined procedure is sometimes called a septorhinoplasty.
Rhinoplasty fixes the surface of your nose and can remove the outward signs of a deviated septum. In case your nose is crooked or bent, rhinoplasty might be used to:
- Reshape cartilage to vary the tip of your nose
- Remove a hump by shaving down bones
- Correct the deviation by breaking and resetting the nasal bones
Timeline for deviated septum surgery recovery
How long does it take for a septum to heal after surgery? It normally takes about 3 months for a nasal septum to totally heal. But you need to begin to notice some improvements in your symptoms and respiratory inside 1-2 weeks of surgery. Here’s the everyday timeline for recovery from deviated septum surgery:
The day of deviated septum surgery
It’s best to have the ability to go home on the identical day because the surgery, but you won’t have the ability to drive. So, it’s an excellent idea to rearrange transportation upfront.
Your nose shall be sore and you’ll probably have bloody discharge from the nose. You can even feel congested and probably won’t have the ability to breathe through your nose. Your doctor will recommend or prescribe medications to assist manage pain or discomfort as you heal.
The week of deviated septum surgery
You’ll return to the clinic a couple of days after your surgery for a follow-up appointment. The doctor will examine your nose to see the way it’s healing. They’ll also remove splints or packing materials which might be in your nose.
1-2 weeks after deviated septum surgery
Inside 1-2 weeks of surgery, you need to begin to feel higher and have less discomfort, swelling and discharge. It’s best to also feel less congested and have the ability to breathe through your nose again.
Many individuals feel able to return to work every week after surgery.
3-4 weeks after deviated septum surgery
Your nose will feel loads higher, and you need to notice significant improvement in your respiratory. Your nostrils may proceed to look uneven because the nasal septum heals and the swelling goes down.
5-6 weeks after deviated septum surgery
The symptoms related to your deviated septum needs to be mostly gone. Check with your doctor if you happen to’re still experiencing respiratory problems, congestion or headaches – or in case your nostrils proceed to look uneven.
Can a deviated septum come back after surgery?
Yes, it’s possible for a deviated septum to return back after surgery, however it’s very rare. If this happens, your doctor may suggest revision surgery to repair the deviated septum, a distinct variety of surgery or nonsurgical options.
Self-care: What to anticipate after deviated septum surgery
The recovery process is a bit different for everybody. Your doctor will provide you specific details about what you’ll must do after surgery. Listed here are some suggestions for self-care after your procedure:
- Don’t blow your nose for every week – Despite the fact that you’ll feel congested, you shouldn’t blow your nose for a minimum of every week. Blowing your nose can interrupt the healing process.
- Ice your face – Frequent use of ice packs in your nose, eyes and cheeks will help to scale back swelling and increase comfort in the primary few days after surgery.
- Rinse your nose with saline – Doing a saline rinse with a neti pot or squeeze bottle can gently remove the crud in your nasal passages and reduce congestion. We recommend rinsing 2-4 times a day throughout the first week.
- Avoid heavy exercise – Exercising increases blood flow throughout your body, and that features your nose. Light walking needs to be advantageous, but you’ll must hold off on vigorous exercise until you might have the go-ahead out of your doctor – normally in two weeks.
- Keep your head elevated – Whenever you bend over or lie down, it sends extra blood to your nose. For the primary few days after the surgery, having extra blood in your nose could cause a nosebleed. So, you’ll must keep your head up as much as possible. Whenever you sleep, prop up your head with pillows.
- Don’t smoke or drink – Smoking and drinking increase inflammation in your body and makes it harder so that you can heal. It’s best if you happen to avoid smoking and drinking for 2 weeks, or longer if possible.
- Watch what you eat and drink – Don’t eat hot or spicy foods for the primary few days after surgery since they might be irritating and make your nose run. It’s also vital to make certain that you simply’re drinking enough – it’s hard on your body to heal if you happen to’re dehydrated.
How much is deviated septum surgery?
Without insurance, a septoplasty can cost as much as $12,000, not including pre-procedural or post-procedural care. Septorhinoplasty can cost $30,000 or more.
Does insurance cover deviated septum surgery?
The excellent news is that the majority insurance firms will cover a minimum of a portion of the surgery if it’s medically crucial to scale back nasal symptoms comparable to a blocked airway, difficulty respiratory or chronic sinusitis.
If septorhinoplasty (or rhinoplasty) is being done for purely cosmetic purposes, it won’t be covered by insurance, and you’ll must pay out-of-pocket for your entire procedure.
Your costs can even be affected by your copayment or coinsurance, remaining deductible and the prices of services that aren’t covered. Your insurance plan may help determine what costs you’ll be accountable for. If you might have HealthPartners insurance, you possibly can contact member services for more information.
Is it price fixing a deviated septum?
Surgery to correct a deviated septum is common and generally secure, however it’s still a serious surgery. So when considering if the surgery could be worthwhile for you, consider your symptoms and the severity of your deviated septum.
Symptoms which might be brought on by your deviated septum – for instance, respiratory problems and headaches from nasal blockage – may go away completely.
But symptoms related to soft tissues, comparable to nasal congestion from asthma or allergies won’t go away after surgery and you’ll likely must proceed to administer those symptoms with at-home remedies.
What happens if you happen to don’t treat a deviated septum
If you might have a severely deviated septum and don’t get treatment, it could lead on to complications comparable to:
- Dry mouth from respiratory through your mouth as a substitute of your nose
- Uncomfortable pressure in your nasal passages as a consequence of congestion
- Poor sleep or sleep disorders like sleep apnea
Getting treatment can improve your respiratory and sleep quality, and reduce the variety of headaches and infections you get.
In case your deviated septum is minor, there is probably not a variety of value in having surgery. If you might have bothersome symptoms, it’s more likely that they’re related to something else – like allergies, asthma or chronic sinusitis. Check with your doctor to see what’s causing your symptoms and what you possibly can do to get them under control.
Treatment on your deviated septum can assist you to breathe easier
Having an untreated deviated septum can affect the standard of your life. For those who’re struggling to administer your symptoms with at-home remedies, it’s time to get help.
For those who’d like help controlling your symptoms without surgery, an appointment with a primary care doctor is an excellent place to start out. But if you happen to’re wondering whether surgery is an excellent option, make an ENT appointment. Either way, our doctors will work with you to develop a treatment plan that can have you respiratory easier.