Should my nose move?

Question

I have never broken my nose or had any trauma happen to it. But my nose freely moves. The bridge of my nose is able to wiggle around a lot. I can push it all the way flat to both sides, but it is not crooked. If I push down on the bridge of my nose slightly and move it to one or the other it kind of pops. I'm just wondering what it is so that I could get it fixed. I have never really been able to breath through my nose comfortably either.

Alejandro Nogueira, MD · Answer

The bridge is in the standard human a 50% bony (therefore solid and rigid) and 50% cartilagenous and flexible; short nasal bones may lead to a 20/80 ratio and mobility of the bridge.This ethnic feature is common in afroamericans, asians, nordic europeans and slavics.

D`Arcy Honeycutt, MD · Answer

Jesslee,

It is not normal to be able to flatten the bridge of the nose or move it from side to side.  Only the tip moves, and even the tip shouldn't flatten down.  Do you have a septal perforation?  Do you have poor tip support?  These questions and what to do about it could be answered by a surgeon skilled in rhinoplasty.

William Portuese, MD · Answer

The upper one third of the nose is bone which is fixed and stable.  The lower two  thirds of the nose is composed of cartilage which is flexible.  The middle third of the nose is  composed of the upper lateral cartilages, while the lower third of the nose including the nasal tip is composed of the lower lateral cartilages.  It is normal to have flexibility in the lower two thirds of the nose.  A thorough internal and external examination of the nose is required to make any determination about functional or cosmetic nasal surgery.

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

The cartilagenous part of a nose normally moves with finger manipulation including the profile line of the lower half of the nose if you're calling that the bridge. I suggest you have a consultation with a rhinoplasty specialist to examine you and determine what is causing your nasal obstruction. Straightening the septum and reducing the turbinates may be necessary to improve breathing.

Should my nose move?

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