Deviated Septum

Do you always find it hard to breathe? Do you also feel breathless and in a manner that has nothing to do with you having a cold or being at higher altitudes? You could have something called a deviated septum.

Introduction to Deviated Septum
The nasal septum is the thin wall inside your nose that separates the two nasal cavities or nostrils. Normally the septum is supposed to be in the center of the nasal cavities, equally dividing the nasal cavity, but most of the time it is a little off-center. This just results in one nasal cavity being smaller than the other; this is not a major problem. But when the septum is more than slightly off-center, this is the time when there is a deviated septum. A deviated septum could be either a birth defect, or it could be the result of an accident or injury to the nose. In some cases a deviated septum is not a serious issue, but at times it becomes so severe that it completely blocks on nasal cavity and reduces the airflow. Most of the time medication will help a deviated septum, but if it is very severe then surgery is necessary.

Signs and Symptoms of Deviated Septum
Most often the deviation of the septum is so minor that you wont even know you have a deviated symptom, but there are signs and symptoms that you need to be aware of in case you have a serious condition. These signs are symptoms are:

• Blocking of nostrils – ever so often do we get a blocked nose that doesn’t let us breathe properly, these are the times we put it down to a cold or congestion. But in case the blockage doesn’t clear and is not related to a cold or allergy, then you could have a deviated septum.
• Congestion – when you have a nasal congestion you get a condition called postnasal drip. This is when the mucus doesn’t come out of your nose and goes back into your throat.
• Bleeding nose – when your notice an increase in the frequency of nose bleeds, this could be a sign of a deviated septum, as in the case of deviated septum the nose becomes dry.
• Recurring sinusitis – another symptom of deviated symptom is the recurrence of sinusitis with its typical blocked nose, headaches and face pains.
• Snoring or noisy breathing while sleeping – most people snore, but in case you notice a change in pattern of snoring or noise during sleeping by children, there could be a more severe underlying problem of a deviated septum.

Causes of Deviated Septum
There are many causes for a deviated septum. Sometimes the septum is deviated in the fetal stages itself and only becomes obvious during birth. The most common cause though for a deviated symptom is an injury to the head and nose. This is most apparent with kids who are actively involved in sports or could be due to sheer clumsiness.

Deviated Septum Surgery
A deviated septum surgery is only necessary when treatments like decongestants, antihistamines and nasal cortisone sprays fail and do not improve the situation. The only way to correct a deviated septum is to get surgery. This deviated septum surgery is called a septoplasty. This surgery repositions your septum and takes up to two hours. Though this procedure is safe, there are some risks involved and are mainly pertaining to anesthesia.

A deviated septum could be not a big deal or it could be, you need to be educated about its complications, severity and treatments.