Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
About two weeks ago, a football hit the side of my nose while I was playing. The weather was cold at the time. After the impact, I did not have any nosebleeds, breathing difficulty, bruising, or noticeable swelling (if there was any swelling, it was very minimal). The pain from the impact subsided in less than 30 minutes.
I already had a slight genetic deviation in my nose structure before this incident. Now I am worried whether the impact could have caused my nose to become more deviated. When I compare my recent selfies with older ones, I do not see a clear change, but I still feel uncertain.
Given the situation I described, is it possible that the cartilage or bone was injured, even mildly?
And if there was a mild injury, would it be reversible on its own?
Please help.
Thank you.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I have read your query and can understand your concern.
In light of your description, the chances of you having sustained a significant nasal bone or cartilage injury are very low. New deviation of the nose caused by a force strong enough to change it normally results in instant swelling, visible deformity, bruising around the nose or eyes, persistent pain, nosebleed, or difficulty breathing through one or both nostrils.
As exemplified in your situation, the pain disappeared quickly, there was no bleeding, no breathing problem, and no obvious change in appearance when comparing pictures; thus, all these factors indicate strongly that neither a fracture nor a significant cartilage displacement took place. Cold weather makes the tissues feel more sensitive at the moment of impact, but it does not, by itself, cause any risk of structural injury.
There can be mild soft tissue bruising or minor cartilage irritation without any noticeable symptoms, but these changes do not result in permanent deviation. Nasal cartilage and the surrounding soft tissues generally get well on their own in the course of days to weeks. If there had been a mild injury, by now, at two weeks, it would be either getting better or fully recovered, and it would not continue to shift or get worse. Actually, the genetic deviation that was there often comes into focus after minor trauma, so it is a heightened awareness that leads to the change rather than a real change.
If you have no new nasal obstruction, no persistent pain, and no visible deformity that can be clearly noticed by others, then reassurance is the best step, and treatment is not necessary. An ENT (ear, nose, and throat specialist) assessment is only advisable if you develop a condition in which you are unable to breathe through one side of the nose, your asymmetry gets worse and is clearly new, you have chronic pain, or you suffer from recurrent sinus problems.
Are you experiencing any new difficulty in breathing through one of your nostrils as compared to before the injury, or is your concern mostly visual and subjective?
I hope this answers your query.
Please let me know if I can assist you further.
Thank you.
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Answered byDr. Ashraf Ghani
Medically reviewed byiCliniq medical review team
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