A deviated septum is a very common condition that affects approximately 3 million people in the United States. Your septum is the bone and cartilage that divides the nasal cavity of your nose in half. When the septum is off-center or crooked, this is referred to as deviated septum. While most people have some sort of imbalance in this area, the misalignment is usually not noticeable. However, in some cases it can be severe enough to cause symptoms such as breathing problems, nasal blockage, or trouble sleeping.
For deviated septa that are severe enough to cause symptoms, treatment is required in order to prevent further complications from occurring. Some potential complications of having a deviated septum include:
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Dry mouth: Sometimes a deviated septum can cause blockage in one or both of your nasal passages, which forces you to breath out of your mouth more. This can lead to having an excessively dry mouth.
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Sinus pressure: Because of the swelling in the nasal tissues that occurs with a deviated septum, chronic sinus infections can sometimes be one of the complications that arises.
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Facial pain: For reasons that are unknown, sometimes severe facial pain on one side of your face results from having a deviated septum.
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Sleeping problems: If your ability to breathe properly is hindered by a deviated septum, this could also potentially interfere with your ability to get a good night’s sleep. Snoring or loud breathing is common for people with deviated septa. Sleep apnea is also a concern, which occurs when you stop breathing for periods of time while you sleep.
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Ear infections: Because of the drainage from sinuses, sometimes a deviated septum can interfere with the normal drainage pattern and result in repeated ear infections or a condition referred to as “glue ear.”
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Nose bleeds: Sometimes a deviated septum can result in excessive dryness of the tissue that makes up one side of the nasal passage. This can result in irritation and cracking, especially in colder weather, which can lead to recurrent nose bleeds.
One of the common treatment options for a deviated septum that is causing complications is to have it surgically repaired. There are also some potential complications that can arise from having a septoplasty, which is the surgical procedure that is commonly used to correct a deviated septum. These include:
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Infection at the site of the incisions
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Bleeding that will not stop
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Perforation, or hole, in the septum
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Loss of the ability to smell
If the symptoms caused by your deviated septum are severe enough to warrant surgery as a necessity, then the benefits will usually outweigh the risks of receiving this procedure since the risks of complications for a septoplasty are usually very low.
