Eighty percent of all people have a deviated septum, but most of them don’t have symptoms. When your deviated septum causes difficulty breathing, nasal infections, or chronic nasal congestion, it’s time to talk with Majid Torabi, MD, FACS, and Ryan Salvador, MD, at Desert Cities Allergy & Otolaryngology about treatment to repair the problem. To learn about your treatment options, call the office in Rancho Mirage or La Quinta, California, or use the online booking feature today.
The septum consists of cartilage and thin bone that runs down the center of your nose and divides the right and left nostrils. When the cartilage is off-center or crooked, you have a condition called a deviated septum.
Many people naturally have a small deviation that doesn’t cause symptoms. But when you have a severe deviation, it affects the appearance of your nose and blocks the airway.
Though an injury can cause a deviated septum, many people have a deviated septum even though they never suffered trauma or had a broken nose.
A deviated septum can make it hard to breathe and increase your risk of developing nasal and sinus infections. You might have symptoms associated with an infection, or a severe deviation alone may cause problems such as snoring and difficulty breathing.
You may experience:
These symptoms often interfere with your ability to sleep.
If you have a minor deviation with occasional congestion, you may only need over-the-counter decongestants, antihistamines, or steroids. These medications can ease your symptoms and restore breathing, but they don’t treat the deviated septum.
If you have difficult symptoms or a severe deviation, there’s only one way to fix the problem: You need septoplasty, which is surgery to correct the deviated septum.
During a septoplasty, your Desert Cities Allergy & Otolaryngology provider straightens your septum and secures it in the center of your nose. The procedure typically involves trimming away the deviated part, replacing cartilage and/or bone as needed, and then repositioning the new septum.
The team at Desert Cities Allergy & Otolaryngology usually does the procedure through your nostrils, so you won’t have any scars. However, the incision placement can vary in special circumstances.
They also can’t do the surgery on young children. They need to wait until the facial bones stop growing in their teen years.
After surgery, you have swelling and nasal drainage that lasts a few days. Your provider gives you instructions to follow to prevent bleeding while you recover. For example, you won’t be able to blow your nose, and you should sleep with your head elevated.
If you have chronic nasal congestion or visible signs of a deviated septum, call Desert Cities Allergy & Otolaryngology today or use the online booking feature to request an appointment.