Deviated Septum Surgery: How to Know When It’s Time to Do It

A deviated septum is a medical condition that affects the nasal septum (the nasal septum is the wall or cartilage that separates your nostrils or nasal passages into halves). A deviated septum occurs when the nasal septum is deviated or away from the centre making one part of the nose smaller than the other. This condition can however become more critical to the point of a total blockage of one side of the nose, leading to reduced airflow and breathing problems.

Causes

Deviated septum is often an irregularity that is present at birth. I.e. A lot of people with deviated septum were born with it. However, over time the deviation became more and more obvious and problematic due to aging
Deviated symptoms can also be caused by injuries. I.e. Injuries from sports, fights, or even accidents. The effect of the injury might sometimes not be noticed or felt at the time, but will instead manifest at later days.

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Symptoms

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A lot of times, people whose septum is deviated do not notice it, as it might be very unobvious. However, in some people, the deformity or deviated of the nasal septum will be obvious and discovered with symptoms like:

Obstruction or blockage of the nostrils which makes breathing through the nose very difficult. You may have this symptom more when you are having a cold or having reaction to allergies that results in your nasal passages swelling and becoming narrow.
Bleeding of the nostrils which usually gets accompanied by dry nostrils.
Facial pain can also result from deviated septum. Medical practitioners are on different sides on the issue of facial pain caused by deviated septum. But it is worthy of note that this could be a symptom that is mostly related with a very chronic deviation that usually require urgent medical attention.
The nasal cycle is a normal phenomenon of the nose. It is the situation where your nostrils become obstructed on one side at a particular time and alternates with the other side at another time. This cycle however occurs without you taking note or becoming aware of it. Situations whereby your nasal cycle becomes obvious to you might be a symptom of a deviated nasal septum that requires medical attention.
Snoring or heavy breathing during sleep is also a possible symptom and indication of the register nasal septum condition.

Other causes can include the preference to assume a particular sleeping position or posture, nasal congestion, sinus infections, nasal swelling etc. When you discover or notice any of this symptoms of a deviated nasal septum, there are treatment that you can employ to combat it ranging from decongestants to as much as surgery.

Treatments

Decongestants

Usually absorbed or taken thought the nostrils with the aid of an inhaler, decongestants are used for the treatment of nasal congestion which is one of the symptoms associated with a deviated nasal septum.

Antihistamine

You can also use antihistamines to combat symptoms of deviated septum like incessant or repeating sinus infections, nasal congestions others. Antihistamines are usually recommended as treatments for allergies and can be used to relieve or combat the symptoms of deviated nasal septum.

Corticosteroid

Or nasal steroid spray is used to treat a variety of different medical conditions including those conditions that affect the nostrils such as the register nasal septum and it's symptoms.

Nasal strip

An adhesive bandage that can be used as a corrective treatment for deviated nasal septum. The strip usually consists of plastic ribs or splints and it is applied on the nose covering the bridge of the nose and sides of the nostrils.

It helps to open up the nasal airways, ease breathing, reduce congestions in the nose, reduce or prevent snoring and loud breathing during sleep etc.

It is an highly effective treatment for deviated septum.

All these treatments can be personally administered if you feel any of the symptoms of a deviated nasal septum. It is however advisable that you visit a medical practitioner of the symptoms do not recede within a short period of time to avoid complications that might arise due to late treatment.

The doctor will then examine your nose with medical instruments like the nasal speculum and professional questions about your sleeping, snoring, breathing and also sinus problem to determine what treatment would be best for you. If the Doctor feels or discovers your nasal septum is critically deviated from it's place, he might recommend surgery as treatment for you.

This surgery is called septoplasty and is used for the treatment of the ear, the nose, and the throat. Septoplasty treatment on the deviated septum is however not devoid of risks and you can always ask your doctor about the risks to allow you decide if you'll go on with the surgery or stick with your treatment outside of surgery.

Some of the risks that are associated with the septoplasty treatment or surgery include:

Alteration of the shape of the nose which can alter your facial look.
Decreased or total loss of your sense of smell.
Temporary feeling of numbness in your upper gums and your teeth
Bleeding that might be excessive and uncontrollable
Persistence of symptoms even after surgery and so on

The process of the surgery or septoplasty is usually about 90 minutes long and you will be placed under the use of anaesthesia, be it local or general anaesthesia as the doctor or surgeon decides. During the operation, the surgeon will cut the septum to remove excess cartilage or bone to straighten the septum and open up your nostrils or nasal passages.

The surgeon can also decide to fit silicone sprints in each nostrils to serve as support for the septum before closing the incision. You will often be advised against certain medications some days before the surgery to avoid complications as much as possible, but the medical practitioner will take necessary measures in any case of complication that might arise.

So, if you have any of the nasal symptoms and the treatments you've tried have not worked for you or you're unsatisfied with the results, then the time might be right for you to get a septoplastic surgery to correct that deviation of your nasal septum.

References:

Deviated Septum: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Deviated Septum - Symtoms and Causes - Mayo Clinic

Septoplasty: What to expect, risks, and reasons for surgery

Deviated Septum: When Does it Require Surgery and What Is that Like?