Not Sure if I Have a Deviated Septum or Need a Rhinoplasty? (photo)

I broke my nose about 6 years ago back in high school and have lived with it to this point. As you can tell it's a little crooked. I honestly can live with that but the real thing that bothers me is my nasal breathing. Ever since the break I get sinus infections at least once a year. I have terrible allergies too so anytime I'm congested I cannot breathe out of my nose. Would a septoplasty fix my breathing and also would that do anything to slighty straighten it? Not looking for a whole nose job.

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allergic broken nose congestion deviated septum breathing problems candidate straighten

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4 Doctor Answers | Asked by turns31

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Deviated septum or need rhinoplasty

The septum is the dividing line between the left lane and the right lane of the airflow and can become crooked from a variety of reasons, including trauma. Repairing a deviated septum does not change the external appearance of the nose; it only improves the breathing and is typically billed to the patient’s medical insurance. A rhinoplasty involves straightening the outside of the nose and making other cosmetic changes, such as a hump removal, tip refinement, and straightening... more

Deviated septum

Very sorry to hear about your injury. Fortunately, there are remedies for the issues you describe. I do see that your nose appears crooked in the photo you provided. A deviated septum can also lead to a deviated nose. It is difficult to predict how much of your crooked nose is due to a deviated septum, so correcting the deviated septum alone will not necessarily correct a crooked nose. In general, correcting a crooked nose is a very difficult procedure and requires a specialist that has a... more

Not Sure if I Have a Deviated Septum or Need a Rhinoplasty?

Aestheically speaking, the nose deviates to the right and from the base view the nasal septum (at least the anterior angle) also deviates to the right. Septoplasty can remove the anterior deflection as well as portions obstructing the nasal airway while Rhinoplasty can break the bones making the nose more symmetric and refined. Hope this helps.

Septoplasty

A septoplasty would probably help your breathing difficulties and help straighten the nose. You made need a combination septorhinoplasty which addresses the cosmetic and functional aspects of the nose. A good consultation with examination would answer your questions. Best regards. Michael V. Elam, M.D.