Broken nose
DEFINITION
A broken nose, also called a nasal fracture, is a break or crack in a bone in your nose — often the bone over the bridge of your nose.
Common causes of a broken nose include contact sports, physical fights, falls and motor vehicle accidents that result in facial trauma. A broken nose can cause pain, along with swelling and bruising around your nose and under your eyes. Your nose may look crooked, and you may have trouble breathing.
Treatment for a broken nose may include procedures that realign your nose. Surgery usually isn’t necessary for a broken nose.
CAUSES
Common causes of a broken nose include:
- Injury from contact sports, such as football or hockey
- Physical altercations
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Falls
- A broken nose can even be caused by walking into a fixed object, such as a door or wall, or by rough, wrestling-type play.
SYMPTOMS
Signs and symptoms of a broken nose:
- Pain or tenderness, especially when touching your nose
- Swelling of your nose and surrounding areas
- Bleeding from your nose
- Bruising around your nose or eyes
- Crooked or misshapen nose
- Difficulty breathing through your nose
- Discharge of mucus from your nose
- Feeling that one or both of your nasal passages are blocked
When to see a doctor
Seek emergency medical attention if you experience a nose injury accompanied by:
- A head or neck injury, which may be marked by severe headache, neck pain, vomiting or loss of consciousness
- Difficulty breathing
- Bleeding you can’t stop
- A noticeable change in the shape of your nose that isn’t related to swelling, such as a crooked or twisted appearance
- Clear, watery fluid draining from your nose
