Broken nose

A broken nose is any crack or fracture in the bony portion of the nose. For more information see nose fracture.

Symptoms of a broken nose

• Pain in or around the nose
• Swelling and bruising around your nose and under your eyes.
• Your nose may look crooked
• It may find it difficult to breathe.
• Tenderness when touching the nose
• Nosebleed

Treatment for a broken

• Doctors may realign the broken bones or bring the nose back to its original position.
• Your nose may need to be fixed or supported with splints. A splint may be placed inside or over the top of your nose.
• Nasal cleaning is done when the nasal fracture has an open wound. This cleans and removes objects, dirt, or dead tissues from the fracture area.
• Doctors may give you medicine to help ease your pain. You may need antibiotic medicine or a tetanus shot if there is an open wound.
• Doctors may pack your nose with gauze (bandage) strips to control bleeding and prevent infection. These strips are moistened (wet) with salt solution or antibiotic ointment.
• You may need surgery to return the bones to their normal position if the fracture is bad. Surgery may also be needed to correct a deformity or fix damaged tissues in the nose.