If the bridge of my nose is curved does that mean my breathing isn't as efficient as it should be?

Dear Reader,The concerns you are describing can be corrected; however, they are cosmetic and will not likely be covered by insurance.  Good luck and safe.John T. Nguyen, MD, FACS, FICSDouble Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Breathing well through your nose is a very complicated thing. Some people have straight noses, but have trouble breathing, while others have very crooked noses and have no problems at all. Since you're thinking about getting a rhinoplasty anyway, this will be addressed in your consultation with a Plastic Surgeon.  If it is a problem or could become one, surgery for breathing and appearance can be performed at the same time. Good luck!

 A rhinoplasty procedure is considered cosmetic which would include shaving down the dorsal hump, straightening the nose, adjusting the tip  and the bridge line. Expect to pay for that component yourself.  There are many issues on the inside of the nose that can cause breathing difficulties such as allergies, chronic sinusitis, valve collapse, vestibular stenosis, turbinate hypertrophy, and a deviated nasal septum. Each one of these is treated differently with either medications and or surgery. Functional surgery can be billed to the patient's medical insurance, once medical necessity has been documented. Both procedures can be performed simultaneously with under one anesthesia with one recovery period. For more information about the differences between functional and cosmetic nasal surgery, please see the  video below

Crooked noses by definition almost always have two different profiles or 3/4 views.You did not claim that you have a breathing problem.Whether or not your breathing is impaired, you should be able to tell whether or not you can breath fully through your nose, with your mouth closed. Then see if both sides have equal patency. You can block off one side and then the other to see if one side has diminished airflow. If so, it can be related to the septum or some other issues that the surgeon can help with. Any septal deviation that may cause obstruction, should be fixed at the time of rhinoplasty