Can your nose fracture from hitting it in your sleep?

Question

I accidentally hit my nose in my sleep and heard a crackling noise but I didn't bleed and nothing looked out of the ordinary. I had zero pain and didn't bruise. However, the side I hit it on is bigger (I've always had s natural small bump on my bridge but now it seems bigger on that side). It doesn't hurt to the touch. Is this most likely swelling and will it go down? I know it's easier to tell with pictures/in person and I'm going to go to a doctor but I just wanted some feedback.

Roberto E. Garcia, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.  The nasal bones are pretty resilient to trauma and it would be unlikely that you caused a serious injury to the nose while sleeping yeilding no bleeding or bruising.  Now, the swelling that can occur from this is not uncommon and this could be the reason for the new bump that now seems larger.  You may want to wait a few weeks before you go and see a Nasal Specialist.  Make sure that you are consulting with a Plastic Surgeon of the Face whom is double board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic Surgery.

Scott Trimas, MD · Answer

It is possible that if you heard a crack in your nose while you were sleeping that you may have sustained a small greenstick type of fracture. This can result in bone build up or callus that may or may not go away with time. Firmly massaging the area can help to improve appearance. However, you might need to have a procedure to remove the bump if it doesn't dissipate with time and you are still concerned about the appearance.

Gregory Lakin, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Although anything is possible, it is highly unlikely that you broke your nose while sleeping. Usually a broken nasal bone will have surrounding bruising and swelling. I recommend you follow up with a board-certified plastic surgeon experienced in rhinoplasty who can address your concerns, examine you or do a virtual consultation if you’re from out of town, and if you are interested in proceeding with a rhinoplasty they can do a virtual simulation and show you before/after photos to give you an idea what type of result you can expect to get. Good luck!

Marcus L. Peterson, MD · Answer

There are several structures that make up your nose shape.  The nasal bones are very strong and require a big force to move them out of place, not likely while you are in bed.  The nasal septum is made of cartilage and is easier to injure and move out of place.  A crackling noise might be the cartilage moving, hard to say exactly.The best thing to do is to allow the swelling to go down and then have your nose evaluated.  The surgeon will need to look inside the nose to see if the septum is out of place.Best WishesDr. Peterson

William Portuese, MD · Answer

It takes a large force to fracture and displace the nasal bones,  so that would be rare  to accomplish that while you're sleeping.

Satyen Undavia, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. Unless you have recently had nasal surgery, I would imagine it would be difficult to actually fracture you nasal bones by an incident like that. You more likely had some bruising and it is taking time for the swelling to dissipate. I do think an in-person evaluation will be the most helpful. Good luck!

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