{"id":90,"date":"2019-01-29T11:17:31","date_gmt":"2019-01-29T19:17:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/ent\/nose\/deviated-septum\/"},"modified":"2021-11-02T15:59:43","modified_gmt":"2021-11-02T22:59:43","slug":"deviated-septum","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mthoodent.com\/ent\/nose\/deviated-septum\/","title":{"rendered":"Deviated Septum"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the bone and cartilage dividing your nasal cavity is off center or crooked, the condition is referred to as a deviated septum. If the deviation is serious enough, it can cause breathing difficulties and chronic sinus conditions<\/a> that require treatment.<\/p>\n

What Causes a Deviated Septum?<\/h2>\n

Most often, a deviated septum is a condition that occurs during birth or fetal development. In other cases, trauma or injury to the nose causes the displacement. This is frequently the result of a sports injury or automobile accident. Occasionally, cartilage in the nasal tip deteriorates as we age, producing a deviated septum.<\/p>\n

What Are the Symptoms of a Deviated Septum?<\/h2>\n

The perfect nasal septum divides the left and right nostrils evenly, but this is pretty rare; it\u2019s estimated that about 80 percent of the population<\/a> has a septum that is off center to some extent. Usually the deviation is slight and goes unnoticed; only the worst cases produce symptoms that affect breathing.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Symptoms include nasal congestion (often limited to one side of the nose), frequent nosebleeds<\/a> and sinus infections, facial pain and pressure, headaches, postnasal drip, and noisy breathing or snoring during sleep.<\/p>\n

How Is a Deviated Septum Treated?<\/h2>\n

If the deviated septum isn\u2019t too severe, symptoms may respond to treatment with medications. Antihistamines, decongestants and nasal steroid sprays can reduce congestion and inflammation in some patients.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When medicines are ineffective, a surgical procedure known as a septoplasty may be necessary to reposition a crooked septum and improve breathing. This involves removing excess bone or cartilage in order to create a larger breathing space, and is typically performed in an outpatient setting using local or general anesthesia.<\/p>\n

A rhinoplasty \u2013 surgery to reshape the nose \u2013 is often performed at the same time.<\/p>\n

In order to prevent a deviated septum, protect your nose from injury whenever possible. Wear a helmet or facial protection when playing sports and never ride in a motor vehicle without wearing a seatbelt.<\/p>\n

Call Mt. Hood ENT & Allergy<\/span> at (503) 257-3204<\/span><\/a> for more information or to schedule an appointment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When the bone and cartilage dividing your nasal cavity is off center or crooked, the condition is referred to as a deviated septum. If the deviation is serious enough, it can cause breathing difficulties and chronic sinus conditions that require treatment. What Causes a Deviated Septum? Most often, a deviated septum is a condition that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":81,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"[phone format=none] | A deviated septum can cause breathing problems and you may be candidate for surgery. Contact us for treatment options.\r\n","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"