A nose fracture is a break in the bones of the nose.
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A nose fracture is caused by a blunt, hard blow to the nose.
Things that may raise your risk of this injury are:
A nose fracture may cause:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. The doctor will also ask how the injury happened. An exam will be done that focuses on your nose and face.
Images of your nose may be taken to guide treatment. This can be done with:
It can take 3 weeks for a broken nose to heal. More severe fractures may take longer to heal. The goals of treatment are to manage pain and support the bone as it heals. Options may be:
Some fractures cause the nose to become out of position. The nose will need to be put back into place. This may be done:
Most fractures are due to accidents. To lower the risk:
American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery
http://cosmeticsurgery.org
Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians
https://familydoctor.org
The Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons
http://www.plasticsurgery.ca
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
http://www.cfpc.ca
Al-Moraissi EA, Ellis E 3rd. Local versus general anesthesia for the management of nasal bone fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2015 Apr;73(4):606-615.
Fractures of the nose. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/injuries-poisoning/facial-trauma/fractures-of-the-nose. Updated April 2018. Accessed September 27, 2019.
Isolated nasal bone fracture—emergency management. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/management/isolated-nasal-bone-fracture-emergency-management#GUID-DE968AD5-9249-415E-A4AD-6A09FAE16954. Accessed September 27, 2019.
Nasal fractures. American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery website. Available at: http://www.entnet.org/content/nasal-fractures. Updated January 2019. Accessed September 27, 2019.
Last reviewed September 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Warren A. Bodine, DO, CAQSM Last Updated: 9/4/2020
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