The Consequences of a Deviated Septum

Most Americans have a deviated septum, but not everyone has at least one fully occluded nostril. Most people’s deviated septums exist somewhere on the spectrum from imperceptible to fully offset.

There are as many reasons to correct of a deviated septum as there are people who have one. The most pressing medical concerns include issues of discomfort, pain, and disrupted breathing. But there are also many people who find the visual asymmetry of a deviated septum distracting for personal reasons, and wish to get a septoplasty for improved confidence.

Symptoms of Deviated Septum

One of the most common symptoms of a deviated septum is a tendency to get nosebleeds. Because the tissues inside your nose are heavily vascularized and sensitive to trauma and environmental changes, anything which exerts stress on these tissues can cause the vessels to rupture. People with severely deviated septums may also often experience more friction inside their nostrils as the walls twist and contort during exertion, leading to an increased incidence of bleeding.

Deviated septums are also associated with a higher frequency of infections. We aren’t exactly sure why this is, but leading theories include stagnant mucus flow and a slower airway that allows more pathogens to become trapped in the nose. Once trapped, these intruders can multiply and spread into the sinuses and beyond.

The most common complaint about deviated septums is that they impair the quality of your sleep. Many people flip from one side to another during the night; as our nostrils sag, a deviated septum can cause one side of the nose to become fully blocked during rest. This can lead to snoring or obstructive sleep apnea – two dangerous and debilitating conditions. As one writer put it:

This deviation definitely would make it difficult for you to get restful sleep. The kind of sleep you’re getting is probably pretty low quality, with a lot of wakefulness, tossing and turning with restricted breathing. The dangers of this go far beyond just excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) — this is hard on your heart putting you at greater risk for heart disease and the EDS also makes you more susceptible to accidents, especially while driving.

To get a deviated septum corrected, you simply need to speak with a sinus surgeon about the various options for a septoplasty procedure. This simple surgical approach can realign your nasal septum, correcting the problem for good with minimal recovery time.

Please contact us today to learn more.