When should you see a doctor because of «problems» with your nose?

Aesthetic problems due to the shape of the nose

Aesthetic problems due to the shape of the nose are one of the most common reasons why patients turn to a plastic surgeon. They can be roughly divided into congenital, caused by improper formation of nasal structures in utero, and acquired, formed during life. Almost any of them can be solved through rhinoplasty.
Rhinoplasty is a low-traumatic operation with a short rehabilitation period and high efficiency. It should not be feared or avoided if there really is a problem that affects self-esteem and causes discomfort. All you have to do is come for a consultation with a plastic surgeon who will dispel myths about rhinoplasty and answer all your questions.

Rhinoplasty can solve the following aesthetic problems with the nose once and for all:

• remove the hump;
• correct disproportionate sizes;
• remove asymmetry;
• correct significant curvature;
• narrow your wide nostrils.

If the question is at what age can a hump on the nose be removed, then it is recommended to perform rhinoplasty from the age of 18. It is by this time that all the bone and cartilaginous structures of the nose are fully formed. And the age limit is 40 years, because… In older patients, the tissue healing process worsens, which makes the rehabilitation period longer.

But thanks to the technical capabilities and rich experience of plastic surgeons, rhinoplasty is increasingly being performed at older ages. In addition, it is effectively combined with other operations aimed at correcting age-related facial changes in women and men. For example, with a face lift – an operation that results in the restoration of the oval of the face, treatment of skin ptosis and getting rid of expression wrinkles.

In any case, before the operation, a mandatory step is a consultation with a plastic surgeon, who will conduct an examination and offer possible solutions to the aesthetic problem with the nose at any age. Therefore, if there are indications before 18 and after 40 years, you should definitely seek help. Perhaps, if there are minor problems with the shape of the nose, the surgeon will refer the patient to a cosmetologist who will offer to solve them with the help of nose contouring. This is a method of correcting the shape and contours of the nose without surgery using hyaluronic acid injections. Only an experienced cosmetologist in a specialized clinic has sufficient experience and access to the necessary technologies to perform nose contouring effectively and correctly. Cosmetology centers and salons also often offer this operation, but most often they do not even have a license to perform it, which leads to a high risk of unsuccessful contouring.

Another mandatory step before rhinoplasty is a consultation with an otolaryngologist, because any aesthetic problems with the nose can be combined with functional disorders. If they are suspected, the doctor will refer the patient to a CT scan of the paranasal sinuses, which, for convenience, can be performed at the VIRTUS clinic.

Nasal dysfunction

Impaired nasal function is often accompanied by the development of obvious symptoms and problems with nasal breathing, which have a detrimental effect on quality of life. This encourages the patient to seek help from an otolaryngologist.

One of the main causes of nasal dysfunction is a deviated nasal septum. This is when the plate separating the nasal passages becomes deformed and leads to a narrowing of one of the passages, which interferes with the normal flow of oxygen into the respiratory tract. The causes of a deviated nasal septum can be congenital, when the septum was formed incorrectly in utero, and acquired, caused by trauma, foreign bodies entering the nasal passage, etc.

In addition, the formation of polyps and adenoids, abuse of vasoconstrictor drops and improper treatment of a runny nose can lead to dysfunction of the nose.
As a result of impaired nasal function, the patient experiences frequent recurrent inflammatory processes, difficulty breathing, a feeling of stuffiness, impaired sense of smell, bleeding and other symptoms.

Any problems with nasal function should be discussed with your doctor to determine the cause and determine appropriate treatment. An otolaryngologist may prescribe medication, physical therapy, surgery, or other methods depending on the diagnosis and severity of the condition.

How do you know when you need to see a doctor?

A small hump or asymmetry is not an indication for surgery. In this case, the patient himself decides whether to contact a plastic surgeon, because this is purely an aesthetic issue. It is worth coming for a consultation with a plastic surgeon if the irregular shape, presence of humps or curvature of the external nose lead to discomfort.

You should contact an otorhinolaryngologist if you have the following problems:

• deviated nasal septum – congenital or acquired;
• nasal injury;
• runny nose that does not go away for a long time or often returns;
• frequent nosebleeds for no apparent reason;
• constant dryness of the mucous membrane;
• snoring and asthma attacks;
• difficulty breathing and constant congestion;
• loss of smell;
• constant need to use vasoconstrictor drops to facilitate nasal breathing;
• frequent headaches and increased fatigue.

All these are indications for conservative or surgical treatment. Symptoms can appear individually or be combined with each other, bringing great discomfort to the patient.

How can a doctor help solve problems with the appearance of the nose?

During a consultation with a plastic surgeon, the patient can focus on all problems related to the appearance of the nose. If there are no functional disorders of nasal breathing, the patient is treated only by a plastic surgeon who can offer rhinoplasty.

Rhinoplasty is aimed at surgically correcting the shape of the external nose in order to achieve an aesthetically attractive shape. During such an operation, you can correct the nose with a «potato», get rid of the consequences of injury and other problems.

Today, rhinoplasty is a routine operation, the result of which is absolutely expected and predictable. The patient can always express wishes about the shape of the «ideal» nose for himself, and the plastic surgeon will inform you before the operation about the possibility of achieving just such a result.

Rhinoplasty, septoplasty and rhinoseptoplasty – what is the difference?

The difference between rhinoplasty, septoplasty and rhinoseptoplasty lies primarily in the problem that each of them solves, and secondly in the specifics of the procedure.

Rhinoplasty is an operation that solves the aesthetic problem of the nose and involves changing its external shape. For example, this could be plastic surgery of the tip of the nose, straightening the hump, reducing the shape of the nostrils, correcting defects, changing the shape or size, etc. in accordance with the wishes of the patient.

Septoplasty is a surgical intervention that solves the problem of a deviated nasal septum and its consequences in the form of impaired nasal breathing function.
Rhinoseptoplasty is a combined two-stage operation, during which two problems are solved at once – aesthetic and functional impairment of nasal breathing caused by a deviated nasal septum. Open and closed rhinoseptoplasty can be performed. They differ only in the way they gain access to the structures of the nose, so they do not affect the result.

The decision to choose a method is made by the surgeon before the operation and depends only on the anatomical features of the patient’s nose. Rhinoseptoplasty lasts up to four hours, has a longer rehabilitation period and is performed with the participation of an ENT surgeon (performs the first stage of the septoplasty operation) and a plastic surgeon (performs the second stage of the rhinoplasty operation).

The decision to choose a method is made by a plastic surgeon and an otolaryngologist based on the patient’s complaints, the symptom complex with which he is addressing, and the results of diagnostic measures.

What results can be expected after nose surgery?

The result after plastic surgery on the nose may vary depending on the specific goals of the patient, his anatomy, and the choice of type of surgical intervention.

Results after plastic surgery may vary depending on the type of surgery.

Results after rhinoplasty:

• giving a smooth, anatomically correct and aesthetic shape to the external nose;
• correction of defects such as hump, crookedness or asymmetry, as well as enlargement or reduction of the nose;
• correction of previous nasal surgeries that did not lead to the desired result.

Results after septoplasty:

• improving nasal breathing by correcting a deviated septum;
• relief from oxygen starvation of the brain;
• relief from snoring, nosebleeds and dry mucous membranes;
• eliminating the development of nasal congestion and chronic inflammatory processes.

Rhinoseptoplasty involves obtaining all the results of rhinoplasty and septoplasty.

Also, to solve problems with the nose, conchoplasty and its combination with other types of surgical interventions – septoconchoplasty – can be performed. Conchoplasty is aimed at treating vasomotor rhinitis, and is performed to reduce hypertrophied nasal turbinates. The result of its implementation is correct nasal breathing and relief from constant congestion, attacks of suffocation, chronic runny nose and dependence on vasoconstrictor drops.

The final results after nose surgery will directly depend on the problems that the patient presented with. Since any operation is carried out with the aim of resolving them.