Nose fracture in children and adults - symptoms and treatment
Nose fracture in children and adults is an injury that is diagnosed in 40% of cases from general injuries to the face. Most often, this is the result of a direct injury - for example, when hitting the bridge of the nose or another part of the nose. The result is damage to the bone (back of the nose) or cartilage tissue (front part, "wings").
Symptoms of a broken nose depending on the type of injury
In medicine, several types of damage are distinguished:
- Closed fracture of the nose without displacement. Of the visible signs, only a large bruise and swelling of the upper part of the face stand out. There is no change in the shape and location of the nose. A depression of the nose may be present visually, but the exact location of the fracture can only be determined by palpation. An X-ray is required to confirm the diagnosis. If the injury is severe, damage to the mucous membrane of the nasal passages and, as a result, bleeding are possible.
- Open fracture without displacement. The signs are the same as in the previous case, but the point of injury is determined visually - the skin is damaged, the protruding bone fragments are clearly visible.
- Nose fracture with displacement. A complex injury that can lead to breathing disorders, purulent tissue damage, problems with water-salt balance, trigeminal neuritis. It will be necessary to use the work of a plastic surgeon to perform rhinoplasty and restore the appearance.
General signs of a broken nose:
- hematomas around the eyes, on the bridge of the nose, can spread to the forehead;
- swelling of the upper and central part of the face;
- acute pain at the site of injury, aggravated by palpation;
- hard-to-stop bleeding from the nasal passages;
- problems with nasal breathing.
If a fragment fracture has occurred, crepitation may be present - crunching when touched, pathological mobility (the nose can literally be put on its side).
The severity of a broken nose is determined only after a doctor examines the patient. For example, with the slow spread of hematomas and the gradual increase of edema, which are accompanied by increasing headaches, there is a risk of not only this injury, but also a fracture of the bones of the base of the skull. And in such a case, immediate hospitalization and extensive examination of the patient, including computer tomography, is required.
Treatment of nasal fracture
Even if it seems that there is no fracture of the nose, but an ordinary contusion has occurred, you need to seek help from a doctor - he will make an accurate diagnosis with the help of X-ray and palpation. If there is no displacement of bone fragments, then the nose after a fracture does not require surgical intervention, therapy is prescribed:
- nasal drops with vasoconstrictive properties;
- analgesic drugs - Ketanov, Dexalgin;
- ointments for quick removal of bruises - Rescuer, any with troxevasin.
If a fracture with displacement is diagnosed, surgical intervention is prescribed - bone repositioning, which allows you to restore the correct relief. Such manipulation is performed under local anesthesia.
If there was a complex fracture of the nose, and the operation was not performed in the specified time, then it will be necessary to resort to rhinoplasty or septoplasty (correction of the nasal septum). But classical surgical treatment should be performed first, followed by antibiotic therapy. It is necessary to wait for full recovery, which may take about six months.
The injuries considered are not uncommon for children, so it is worth knowing the rules for providing first aid to a child. You can find out about them at a doctor's consultation, and make an appointment through our website dobrobut.com
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