What Can Be Done for Septum Pain and Deviation, and Enlarged Turbinates?

You may well have a deviated septum, and enlarged turbinates, but these conditions are not usually associated with pain unless you're having a sinus infection. If you have a foul, off-colored, nasal discharge along with pain, then you could have sinusitis, and consultation with another ENT might help. In my practice, the majority of nasal and sinus pain are usually migraine. I agree that steroid nasal sprays will not improve your pain, but might help with your breathing. I hope this was... more

Your pain inside the nose could be from two things; 1. Infection 2. Deviated septum pushing against the side wall of the nose. To differentiate between the two you can do this experiment at home. Get Afrin (Oxymetazolin) spray from any pharmacy. When you are having the pain, spray 3 sprays in each side of the nose and wait for about 15 minutes. If the pain diminshes or goes away then likely you have a deviated septum and when your turbinates swell up the septum pushes against them... more

Hi Ilse, First of all, if you went to an otolaryngologist who did not examine the inside of your nose, and just looked at the outside, it is time for you to find a different ENT. It is imperative to exam the nose internally to make a proper diagnosis. Since your symptoms have been only for two weeks, most likely the pain is not from a structural problem with your septum, but rather from a cut or fissure in the mucosa (lining of the nose). If your turbinates are enlarged, they can be reduced... more

It is impossible to tell from the pictures what is going on with the nose. Examination of the internal portion of the nose will further delineate the extent of any deviated septum. If you have a deviated septum and enlarged turbinates, this is what usually causes nasal obstruction. A CAT scan of the para-nasal sinuses will also help reveal any chronic sinus issues and a deviated septum. The septum could be deviated from the trauma that you had when you were 11 years old. I would... more

Since the nasal pain is only two weeks in duration, it is probably unrelated to your nasal trauma many years ago. You may have a local infection just inside the nose, where there is hair baring skin. In looking at your pictures, I suspect you may have a deviated septum, since the lower part of your nose is deviated to the right side. Septum deviation and turbinate enlargement are common causes of nasal obstruction, but not pain. In rare occasions, contact between the septum and the... more

Your pictures show that you have some septal deviation. Without examination one cannot determine if this is causing nasal obstruction. Find another doctor if the ENT physician did not examine the inside of your nose. If you did not injure your nose, the pain is probably secondary to some type of sinus infection. Therefore, don't delay scheduling another appointment.

I cannot understand WHY a nose doctor would NOT look inside the nose when you present with nose symptoms. It should have been the second thing he did after obtaining your history. Rather than guessing at what it is or could be, I would suggest you see ANOTHER nose doctor and have him/her examine you. IF there is an anatomic reason (IE deviated, curled septum, enlarged inferior turbinates etc), those may be addressed with a variety of treatments depending on their extent of blockage, any... more