While playing a weekly softball game, Dan slid into home plate and was whacked in the nose by the catcher. He had some bleeding and a black eye at first. But, over the next few months, he started to have a hard time breathing through his right nostril. At first, he ignored it.

Over time, he noticed that his nose was always stuffy. Finally, Dan made an appointment with his doctor who found that Dan had a deviated septum.

The Role of the Septum in Your Nose

A septum is any wall that divides two cavities. In the nose, the septum runs down the center and divides it into two chambers. The septum is made up of two parts. Toward the far back of the nose, the septum is hard bone. At the middle and towards the tip, it is made of cartilage—a tough, semi-flexible material.

Problems from a Deviated Septum

No one has a perfectly straight septum. One that is not fully straight is not often a problem. But, if the septum sticks out too far to one side or the other, it can cause problems moving air into and out of the nose. It can also make it hard for mucus to drain. A deviated septum can be due to genetics or trauma, such as a blow to the nose from an accident or while playing sports.

Some problems may be:

• Noisy breathing during sleep
• Stuffiness in one or both nostrils
• Repeat sinus infections
• Nosebleeds
• Facial pain or headache

Treating a Deviated Septum

There are ways to treat this problem. It depends on the symptoms a person is having. Some things that may help are: