Is there a non-surgical way to fix a deviated septum?

Question

I have a deviated septum and it seems weird that if cartilage is just shifted or bent away from the midline that I have to go under the knife and let my nose get chopped up to fix this. Are you SURE that there is no way to move the septum back to the middle with my fingers or something? I never broke my nose, so my septum is only bent (not broken) out of place. Please give me ANY alternatives- the idea of having my nose cut open and sewed up is extremely unpleasant.

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS, FACS · Answer

Not all deviated septums need to be fixed ! If your nose looks fine on the outside and you breathe well, then there is no indication to fix it.  If it is a deviated septum that causes breathing problems,then surgery is required to fix it.

Amy K Hsu, MD, FACS · Answer

Dear  prombom17~Thank you for your question.  It is not really possible to permanently move the septum with your fingers with any reasonable amount of force. The septum is made of both bone and cartilage, and sometimes portions need to be actually removed in order to open the airway and correct the deviation.If you are not looking for any external changes to your nose, typically a septoplasty can be performed by carefully placed incisions inside the nose. It is usually not a very painful or prolonged recovery. Best regards,Amy Hsu

Is there a non-surgical way to fix a deviated septum?

Answers (2)