Swollen nose after impact, what's the danger?

The nose is composed of bone and cartilage. The cartilage tends to be more fragile, so the surrounding blood vessels are more prone to rupture or tear. Especially if you have been hit or injured. This damage can cause a swollen nose and bleeding.

This condition is known as a nasal septal hematoma. Although generally harmless, damaged blood vessels and a swollen nose after being hit require proper treatment.

Recognizing nasal septal hematoma, the cause of nasal swelling

In simple terms, nasal septal hematoma can be interpreted as a collection of blood in the nasal septum when bleeding occurs. The septum is the cartilage part of the nose that separates the two nasal cavities.

Meanwhile, a hematoma is a swelling of a certain body part caused by a buildup of blood.

Well, nasal septal hematoma occurs in the cartilage of the nose or those that are close to the border between cartilage and the hard bones in the nose. Blood clots in the nose to stop bleeding actually cause the blood to be retained and so that the nose is swollen.

In other parts of the body, the swelling due to the hematoma is not too dangerous because the clotted blood will be reabsorbed by itself. However, nasal swelling due to nasal septal hematoma usually doesn't heal on its own.

Signs of swollen nose due to nasal septal hematoma

Nasal septal hematoma quite often occurs when a person experiences blockage of the nose due to impact or trauma. However, the symptoms may not appear hours or days after the impact occurs. Usually the signs are as follows.

• Pain around the nose
• Bleed every time you try to get your nose drained
• Swollen nose to the area under the eyes
• Continuous bleeding after several hours of impact
• Change in nose shape and size
• Difficulty breathing through your nose
• Feeling a blockage in the nasal cavity
• Feeling a headache after experiencing an impact
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fainting

Is this condition dangerous?

If after you hit, your nose is swollen and doesn't heal, you are at risk of experiencing various types of complications that are quite dangerous.

At worst, the blood flow around the damaged blood vessels is interrupted. As a result, blood flow around the septum stops. The cells around the septal cartilage can die, causing disfigurement of the nose.

Swollen nose due to nasal septal hematoma can also cause an infection characterized by fever and abscess (pus buildup) in the nasal cavity.

What to do if the nose is swollen due to impact?

If you develop a nasal septal hematoma after a impact or injury, seek medical help immediately. The reason is that the swelling of the hematoma can only be handled by a doctor to absorb blood fluids trapped in the hematoma.

The procedure is performed under local anesthesia. However, if nasal swelling occurs in infants and children, general anesthesia may need to be done for a short time.

Apart from these procedures, treatments to repair the nasal bone structure and remove damaged tissue may also be needed to reduce the risk of infection. Surgery on the nose in general can treat problems with the nose as a whole and improve the appearance of a damaged nose.

If an infection occurs, the doctor will usually give antibiotics and pain medication to help manage the symptoms.