Projecting prominently from the central part of the face the nose is the most commonly broken bone on the head. A broken nose (nasal fracture) can significantly alter your appearance and make it much harder to breathe through the nose.
Diagnosis
Getting struck on the nose, whether by another person, a door, or the floor is not pleasant. You will experience a lot of nose pain. You will likely have a nose bleed and soon find it difficult to breathe through your nose. Swelling develops both inside and outside the nose and you may get dark bruises around your eyes.
Nasal fractures can affect both bone and cartilage. A collection of blood (septal hematoma) can sometimes form on the nasal septum (that wall of bone and cartilage that separates the sides of the nose).
Our skilled ENT Specialists will examine the nose by:
- Physical exam
- X-ray
- CT scan
These can help to identify other facial fractures. In many cases a nasal fracture will not require surgery.
Because it is deemed medically necessary, your insurance often covers your cost for a broken nose, especially one that causes cosmetic deformity or if it causes breathing issues. When it comes diagnosing and treating your nasal fracture, you can depend on the expertise of our Los Angeles ENT Specialists to restore both the aesthetics and functionality of your nose following a fracture.