Knowledge

What is a deviated septum and how to correct it? Before explaining what this condition is, I would like to briefly go through what septum is. A nasal septum is a cartilage in the form of the thin wall inside the nose that divides the nose into two passages- nostrils.

The deviated septum is the condition when the nasal septum is deviated or displaced off the center of the nose. There are no obvious symptoms or signs of the deviated nasal septum. However, you might feel the obstruction in one of the nostrils, which makes breathing difficult.

A deviated septum can be congenital. It means that is one can be born with a deviated septum from birth. Also, it can be caused by a nose injury. As a result, the nasal septum is displaced out of its position.

Before going ahead with any treatments to correct deviated nasal septum, it is necessary to have a consultation with a doctor. He or she can diagnose and inspect how serious the deviation and then recommend an appropriate treatment plan.

If the blockage is severe, then you might want to consider having a septoplasty. It is a surgery designed to correct the deviated nasal septum.

During the surgery, the doctor straightens the nasal septum and places it into the center. The surgeon may remove some parts of the septum to repair it. After the surgery, all the breathing problems caused by obstruction and nasal septum deviation disappear and improve.

Sometimes, septoplasty can be combined with rhinoplasty and done with the nasal septum deviation. Rhinoplasty entails improving and changing the nasal cartilage and bone to modify the nose size and shape.