I broke my nose upon receiving a sucker punch directly to the face during a rugby game this past weekend. It isn’t exactly a recommended experience, and it happened quite quickly; the last thing I saw was a fist flying at my face, and the next thing I saw was a lot of blood. There was a tremendous crack, which was apparently heard from the sidelines, and because of the bleeding, I did have to come off the field until it stopped (which it didn’t, but tampons work great for bloody noses).
I was fortunate enough to receive treatment right away from an athletic trainer, but because everything happened rather quickly, I didn’t understand why she had me doing some of the things she recommended immediately after it happened. When I got home, I decided to Google a broken nose and how to treat it, and the following helpful information comes from mayoclinic.org.
“Treatment
“If the fracture is minor and your nose isn’t crooked or misshapen, you may not need medical treatment. In many cases, using ice to lessen swelling and taking pain medicine you can buy without a prescription is enough to help you heal.
“Manual realignment
“If the break has shifted the bones or cartilage in your nose, your healthcare professional may need to realign them. This procedure is called reduction. It needs to be done within 14 days of the injury, and preferably sooner for the best results.
“To keep you comfortable during the procedure, you get numbing medicine. Typically, a healthcare professional can move the bones gently back into place by hand. Sometimes special tools may be needed to help realign the broken bones and cartilage.
“After the procedure, your nose may need to be splinted to hold it in place while it heals. This can include:
- Packing inside the nose.
- A dressing or splint on the outside of the nose.
- An internal splint, which is left in place temporarily.
“Typically, the packing used for splinting stays in for about one week. The external dressing may stay on for up to two weeks.
“You also may be prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection, since the nose naturally has bacteria.
“Surgery
“Serious breaks, multiple breaks or breaks that have gone untreated for more than 14 days may need surgery. Surgery can realign the bones and, if needed, reshape the nose.
“The nasal septum is the middle part of your nose that divides your nostrils. If the injury damaged that area, you may feel like your nose is blocked or constantly stuffy. Surgery may be needed to reconstruct your nose to improve your breathing and correct the damage.
“Self care
“If you think you may have broken your nose, take these steps right away to lessen pain and swelling:
“Limit your activities. For the first two weeks after the injury, don’t play any sports. Don’t play contact sports for at least six weeks after your injury.
“Act quickly. Breathe through your mouth and lean forward to help stop blood from draining into your throat.
“Apply ice. Use an ice pack or cold compress as soon as possible after the injury. Apply ice at least four times a day for the first 24 to 48 hours to lessen swelling. Use the ice pack or cold compress for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Always put a thin cloth between ice and your skin to prevent frostbite. And don’t press too hard. That can cause pain or damage.
“Take pain medicine. Take pain relievers you can buy without a prescription, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve), to relieve pain.
“Keep your head up. Elevate your head — especially when sleeping — to lessen swelling and throbbing,” the web page states.
There ya have it, friends. Keep those noses safe.
Photo by Brittany Colette on Unsplash
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