What is nose injuries?

Nose injuries often occur during play, sports, accidents, fights, and falls. Pain, swelling, and bruising are common, even with minor injuries. Home treatment can usually help relieve your symptoms.

It may be hard to tell if your nose is broken. Swelling can make your nose look crooked even if it isn't broken. When the swelling goes down after a few days, it's easier to tell if your nose is really crooked. Most doctors prefer to check an injured nose soon after the swelling has gone down. Sometimes testing may be needed, such as an X-ray or CT scan of the head, if the doctor thinks you might have other facial injuries or fractures.

Seriousness of a nose injury

Whether or not your nose is broken, a nose injury is more serious when:

• You have a nosebleed that you can't stop.
• The skin of your nose is cut or punctured, especially if you think your nose may be broken. This increases your risk of infection.
• A blood clot forms in the tissue that separates the nostrils (septum). This can create a hole (perforation) in the septum. Or it can cause the bridge of the nose to collapse (saddle nose deformity).
• You think the injury may have been caused by abuse. Physical abuse often causes bruises, burns, fractures, head injuries, and other injuries. If you suspect abuse, seek help. You can call a local child or adult protective services agency, the police, a spiritual advisor, or a health professional such as a doctor, nurse, or counselor.
• You have drainage that won't stop from one or both nostrils. This may be caused by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) draining from the brain into the nose (CSF rhinorrhea). It can occur after a head injury or after surgery on the nose or ears. There is a chance that you may get a CSF infection, such as meningitis. It can affect the nervous system and be life-threatening.

Complications of a broken nose

Most broken noses heal without problems. When problems occur, they can include:

• A change in the size or shape of the nose, or a crooked or bent nose. Multiple nose injuries, especially during childhood, increase the risk of damage to the tissues and structures in the nose. This can cause long-term problems.
• Trouble breathing or a stuffy nose.
• An infection of the nose, sinuses, or bones in the face.
• A problem with the tissue that separates the nostrils (deviated nasal septum).
• A hole (perforation) in the septum.
• Severe infection, such as meningitis or a brain abscess, or other CSF infection.

Treatment

Treatment of a simple fracture, when the bone is still in place, usually includes pain medicine and nasal decongestants. You may or may not need a nasal splint.

If your nose is broken and out of place, it may need to be set. Most doctors like to wait for any swelling to go down before they set a broken nose. Most swelling goes down after 2 or 3 days, but it may take as long as 7 to 14 days. After the nose is set, nasal packing may be inserted. You may also get a splint. You may get antibiotics to help prevent infection if packing is used. Your doctor may want to recheck your nose and remove the packing in 2 to 3 days.

When you have a nose injury, it's important to look for other injuries to the head, face, and neck. These may include a broken cheekbone, an eye injury, an injury to the mouth or teeth, or a cervical spine injury.