Deviated Nasal Septum and Homeopathy
Nasal septum deviation or deviated nasal septum (DNS) is a common physical disorder of the nose, involving a displacement of the nasal septum. The nasal septum is the wall that separates the left and right nostrils. A centered septum allows air to flow equally through each nostril. In a deviated nasal septum the wall is not centered. A deviated septum is a condition in which the nasal septum is significantly off centre, or crooked, making breathing difficult. Most people have some sort of imbalance in the size of their breathing passages. In fact, estimates indicate that 80% of people, most unknowingly, have some sort of misalignment to their nasal septum. Only the more severe imbalances cause significant breathing problems.
A deviated septum occurs when your nasal septum - the thin wall that separates your right and left nasal passages is displaced to one side. A deviated septum can be caused by:
- A condition present at birth. In some cases, a deviated septum occurs during fatal development and is apparent at birth.
- Injury to the nose. A deviated septum can also be the result of an injury that causes the nasal septum to be moved out of position. In infants, such an injury may occur during childbirth. In children and adults, a wide array of accidents may lead to a nose injury and deviated septum — from tripping on a step to colliding with another person on the sidewalk.
- Trauma to the nose most commonly occurs during contact sports, active play or roughhousing, or automobile accidents.
The normal aging process may affect nasal structures, worsening a deviated septum over time. Also, changes in the amount of swelling of nasal tissues, because of developing rhinitis or rhino sinusitis, can accentuate the narrowing of a nasal passage from a deviated septum, resulting in nasal obstruction.
For some people, a deviated septum is present at birth — occurring during fatal development or due to injury during childbirth. After birth, a deviated septum is most commonly caused by an injury that moves your nasal septum out of place. Risk factors include:
- Playing contact sports
- Not wearing your seat belt while riding in a motorized vehicle
Symptoms
- The most common symptom of a deviated septum is nasal congestion, with one side of the nose being more congested than the other. Due to this affected person may suffer from difficulty in breathing.
- Obstruction of one or both nostrils. This obstruction can make it difficult to breathe through the nostril or nostrils. This may be more noticeable when you have a cold (upper respiratory tract infection) or allergies that can cause your nasal passages to swell and narrow.
- Recurrent sinus infections are one of the effects of a deviated septum. Affected person may get frequent nosebleeds, pain in the sinus areas due to Sinusitis, headaches, postnasal drip, snoring during sleep.
- Headache - Sinusital headache secondary to obstruction to drainage of sinuses. Neurological headache when septum touches a sensitive part on the lateral wall of the nose.
- Nose bleeding - Little area the deviated side of the septum is exposed to atmospheric directly predisposing to drying and crusting of mucosa and tendency to pick the nose.
- A deviated septum may also cause sleep apnea, a condition in which a person stops breathing during sleep.
- Again due to which a person doesn’t get enough deep sleep due to which suffers from symptoms like fatigue, improper digestion, hyperacidity etc.
- Deformity of external nose. Secondary hypertrophy of turbinate. Frequent or recurring sinus infections. Recurrent rhinitis i.e. nose.
Comlications
- Recurrent sinusitis due to obstruction to drainage of sinus.
- Middle ear infection due to forcible blockage of nose or recurrent upper respiratory infection.
- Mouth breathing causing infection of pharynx, larynx, tracheobronchial tree.
- Asthma: DNS acts as trigger for bronchospasm. Atrophic rhinitis on the root side of nose.
Homoeopathic Management*
Homoeopathy has a great & valuable role in healing the effects of Deviated Nasal Septum by enhancing or improving one’s Immune Power. So in spite of having the Deviated septum a person will be symptom free. Healing approach should be directed towards symptomatic history like blockage of nose, recurrent upper respiratory tract infection, sinusitis, epistaxis, headache, middle ear infection, spurs, thickening.
Consult a Qualified Homeopath for the appropriate therapy. For chronic & acute conditions patient needs constitutional approach to reduce the recurrence and to build resistance & immunity which will heal the patient in short time.
Self-medication is not advisable.