Why does my nose hurt?

If you feel obvious pain in your nose bones, this is usually related to a nasal bone fracture. The principle of this disease is the same as that of an ordinary fracture. It is most likely to occur when you are hit by severe external force. If the pain lasts for a long time and is severe, it is best to find out the situation as soon as possible and treat it. So, what causes nose bone pain?

The most common cause of nose bone pain is nasal bone fracture. The nose is the most prominent part of the face and is easily injured by external forces. Nasal bone fracture is a common trauma in otolaryngology, accounting for about 50% of otolaryngology traumatic diseases. Nasal bone fracture can affect the facial appearance and the ventilation function of the nasal cavity. Nasal bone fractures can occur alone, and in severe cases may be combined with nasal septum fractures, cartilage dislocations, trauma to the maxillary frontal process, sinuses, orbital walls, skull base, etc., leading to abnormalities in the structures and functions of the corresponding parts.

A nasal fracture is usually easy to diagnose. Nasal bone fractures usually have a clear history of nasal trauma. When understanding the medical history, pay attention to asking about the nature and direction of the external force, the time of injury, and post-injury symptoms. During palpation, gently slide the index fingers of both hands from the root of the nose to the tip of the nose. You may find obvious tenderness at the fracture site, which may sometimes be accompanied by a deviated or collapsed nose bridge and a twisting sensation. Rhinoscopy examination revealed edema and tearing of the nasal mucosa, displacement and collapse of the lateral walls of the nasal cavity toward the midline, dislocation and deformation of the nasal septum, and formation of septal hematoma. An X-ray of the nasal bone or a CT scan can show the location of the fracture and the direction of bone displacement, which can aid in diagnosis.

treat

1. First aid measures

After nasal trauma, you should go to the hospital for treatment immediately. At the same time, apply cold compress to the back of the nose with an ice pack, but try to avoid pressing hard. If accompanied by nasal bleeding, pinch both nostrils and lower your head at the same time to prevent blood from flowing into the pharynx.

2. Non-displaced bony nasal fracture

For simple fractures without displacement, whose nasal shape and nasal ventilation are not affected, no special treatment is required and they can be allowed to heal naturally.

3. Displaced nasal bone fracture

Nasal bone fractures with nasal bone displacement should be repositioned after local soft tissue swelling subsides.

Common reset methods are:

(1) Closed reduction is best performed within 10 to 14 days after injury. If it is performed more than 2 weeks later, callus formation may make reduction difficult.

(2) Open reduction is necessary when closed reduction is unsuccessful or when old nasal bone fractures require open reduction.

(3) Endoscopic nasal bone reduction surgery is suitable for patients who have failed closed reduction surgery, are 14 to 30 days post-traumatic, and have combined nasal septum deviation.

The treatment of nasal bone fracture should first reposition the fractured nasal bone to its original position, and then perform nasal packing to support the nasal bone. The tightness of the packing should be appropriate. Pay attention to protecting the nose after the operation and avoid pressure within 2 weeks. Patients who wear glasses should not wear glasses for the time being. After nasal bone fracture reduction surgery, nasal packing can be performed for fixation. It usually takes 2 to 3 days to remove the nasal packing, and the longest time may be 1 week or longer. For comminuted and compound nasal bone fractures, the packing time needs to be longer, but generally does not exceed 2 weeks. If the nasal packing time is too long, most patients will experience nasal swelling and pain, and in severe cases, reflex headaches. Long-term mouth breathing causes dryness and pain in the throat, which seriously affects the patient's sleep and rest.

The treatment of compound nasal bone fractures should first put saving the patient's life first, maintain airway patency, actively fight shock and stop bleeding, and then correct the nasal facial deformity and restore the physiological function of the nasal cavity after the condition stabilizes.

Nasal packing is not recommended for patients with cerebrospinal fluid leakage to prevent retrograde infection of the nasal bacteria into the brain. In the case of old nasal bone fracture, callus has formed at the broken ends of the nasal bone and the fracture has healed abnormally, resulting in a crooked nose deformity, which is difficult to correct using conventional nasal bone reduction methods.