I Hit my Nose, Is the Swelling Mean Permanent Damage?

Hello and thank you so much for your question. With the amount of swelling still present, this can create the appearance of asymmetry and irregularities. I suggest an in-person consultation with a rhinoplasty specialist to ensure permanent damage was not done to the nose and to take the correct measures in a timely fashion. I hope this information helps and I wish you the best of luck. 

It is very difficult to tell if a nose is broken without a clinical examination. The initial swelling can mask any underlying fracture and under these circumstances it is best to seek an opinion first and your surgeon will carry out a complete examination including visualisation of the septum. It is then advisable to wait a couple of weeks for the swelling to subside and have a further examination. If the nasal bones are broken this is better assessed at this stage and a manipulation of the nasal bones can be carried out .

It is totally normal to have swelling over the nose after trauma, and this usually goes away by 2-4 weeks. It would be advisable to see a nasal specialist to make sure there is no fracture or internal damage. 

Nasal fractures occur frequently following facial trauma. In many cases, fractures are accompanied by bruising, swelling, bleeding, distortion of nasal structures, deviation of the nose and difficulty breathing through the nose.
                In many cases, the diagnosis of a nasal fracture is relatively simple. Some patients have obvious deformities such as nasal flattening or significant nasal deviation which makes the diagnosis obvious. In other cases, the diagnosis of a nasal fracture can be very difficult because of swelling. In these cases, swelling may need to resolve before the diagnosis can be made.

                When patients have obvious or displaced nasal fractures, they will usually require corrective surgery. Not all nasal fractures require treatment. In some cases, the bone and cartilage are not displaced and because of this, surgery isn’t indicated.

                When corrective surgery is performed within three weeks of the fracture, closed nasal reduction is performed. This is a relatively simple procedure that re-positions and stabilizes the nasal bones. If repair isn’t done within three weeks of injury, correction should be delayed for one year and then a formal rhinoplasty performed.

                In your particular case it’s reasonable to seek medical attention if your deformity and swelling are persistent. Under These circumstances a nasal fracture may be present. 

Very common question.  As you can imagine without an exam it is very difficult to say.  Just because a nose is swollen it does not mean that the structures like the bone and cartilage are permanently damaged.  An exam and often time will tellGood LuckDr Rahban