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Deviation of nasal septum is a physical disorder of nose wherein the nasal septum is displaced. It may develop due to a trauma or a blow or a fall or it may be a congenital disorder caused by compression of nose during birth.
The nasal septum is the bone that separates the two nostrils. They are symmetrically divided if the nasal septum is in the centre but deviated septum is an abnormal condition leaning the nose on either side. There are no particular symptoms but the deviation in septum may be severe enough to block the passing of air through the nostrils and it may result in sinusitis, nose bleeding (epistaxis) and infection. It may also cause sleeping disorders like snoring or sleep apnea, headaches, difficulty in breathing and bloody noses.
As a slight deviation is not a medical issue, it may not need any deviated septum surgery except when it poses a major threat or causes discomfort. Some deflections may go undetected for years but some consider important to be corrected for aesthetic purposes and hence go for deviated septum rhinoplasty.
Deviated septum can be treated with a minor surgery called septoplasty wherein the obtruding matter is removed surgically. Though it takes less time, it may take 2-4 days to heal. Reconstruction may be done with deviated septum rhinoplasty. Corrective surgeries may pose the risk of hemorrhage, deformity and infection. Other treatment options may be antibiotics, decongestants and analgesics. One may also find newer treatment options with the access to online healthcare products.