FREQUENT NASAL TROUBLES?? THINK OF DEVIATED NASAL SEPTUM – GENERAL AND HOMOEOPATHIC APPROACH

Nasal septum deviation or deviated nasal septum (DNS) is a common physical disorder of the nose, involving a displacement of the nasal septum. The nasal septum is the wall that separates the left and right nostrils. A centered septum allows air to flow equally through each nostril. In a deviated nasal septum the wall is not centered. A deviated septum is a condition in which the nasal septum is significantly off center, or crooked, making breathing difficult. Most people have some sort of imbalance in the size of their breathing passages. In fact, estimates indicate that 80% of people, most unknowingly, have some sort of misalignment to their nasal septum. Only the more severe imbalances cause significant breathing problems.

Aetiology and Risk factors:

A deviated septum occurs when your nasal septum — the thin wall that separates your right and left nasal passages — is displaced to one side.

A deviated septum can be caused by:

·        A condition present at birth. In some cases, a deviated septum occurs during fetal development and is apparent at birth.

·        Injury to the nose. A deviated septum can also be the result of an injury that causes the nasal septum to be moved out of position. In infants, such an injury may occur during childbirth. In children and adults, a wide array of accidents may lead to a nose injury and deviated septum — from tripping on a step to colliding with another person on the sidewalk. Trauma to the nose most commonly occurs during contact sports, active play or roughhousing, or automobile accidents.

The normal aging process may affect nasal structures, worsening a deviated septum over time. Also, changes in the amount of swelling of nasal tissues, because of developing rhinitis or rhinosinusitis, can accentuate the narrowing of a nasal passage from a deviated septum, resulting in nasal obstruction.

For some people, a deviated septum is present at birth — occurring during fetal development or due to injury during childbirth. After birth, a deviated septum is most commonly caused by an injury that moves your nasal septum out of place. Risk factors include:

·              Playing contact sports

·              Not wearing your seat belt while riding in a motorized vehicle

Clinical Features:

·        The most common symptom of a deviated septum is nasal congestion, with one side of the nose being more congested than the other. Due to this affected person may suffer from difficulty in  breathing.

·        Obstruction of one or both nostrils. This obstruction can make it difficult to breathe through the nostril or nostrils. This may be more noticeable when you have a cold (upper respiratory tract infection) or allergies that can cause your nasal passages to swell and narrow.

·        Recurrent  sinus infections is one of the effect  of a deviated septum. Affected person may get  frequent nosebleeds, pain in the sinus areas due to Sinusitis, headaches ,postnasal drip,  snoring during sleep.

·        Headache  -  Sinusital headache secondary to obstruction to drainage of sinuses. Neurological headache when septum touches a sensitive part on the lateral wall of the nose.

·        Nose bleeding - Little area the deviated side of the septum is exposed to atmospheric directly predisposing to drying and crusting of mucosa and tendency to pick the nose.

·        A deviated septum may also cause sleep apnea, a condition in which a person stops breathing during sleep.

·        Again due to which a person doesn’t get enough deep sleep due to which  suffers from symptoms like fatigue, improper digestion, hyperacidity etc. 

·        Deformity of external nose.

·        Secondary hypertrophy of turbinate.

·        Frequent or recurring sinus infections

·        Recurrent rhinitis i.e. nose.

Complications:

·        Recurrent sinusitis due to obstruction to drainage of sinus.

·        Middle ear infection due to forcible blockening of nose or recurrent upper respiratory infection.

·        Mouth breathing causing infection of pharynx, larynx, trachebronchial tree.

·        Asthma: DNS acts as trigger for bronchospasm.

·        Atrophic rhinitis on the root side of nose.

Prevention

You may be able to prevent the injuries to your nose that can cause deviated septum with these precautions:

·  Wear a helmet when playing contact sports, such as football and hockey.

·  Wear a seat belt when riding in a motorized vehicle

Homoeopathic Management

Homoeopathy has a great & valuable role in treating the effects of Deviated Nasal Septum by enhancing or improving one’s Immune Power. So in spite of having the Deviated septum a person will be symptom free. Treatment should be directed towards symptomatic history like blockening of nose, recurrent upper respiratory tract infection, sinusitis, epistaxis, headache, middle ear infection, spurs, thickening.

Allium cepa - Sneezing, especially when entering a warm room. Copious, watery and extremely acrid discharge. Feeling of a lump at root of nose. Hay-fever. [Sabad.; Sil.; Psor.]. Fluent coryza with headache, cough, and hoarseness. Polypus. Catarrhal headache, mostly in forehead; worse in warm room towards evening. < evening, warm room. > open air, cold room.

Arsenic Album - Coryza with thin, watery, excoriating discharge. Nose feels stopped up. Sneezing withoutrelief. Hay-fever and coryza; worse in open air; better indoors. Burning and bleeding from nose. Headaches relieves by cold, other symptoms worse.< wet weather, after midnight; from cold, cold drinks, or food. Seashore. Right side. > from heat; from head elevated; warm drinks.

Arum Triphyllum - Acridity is the keynote of the kind of action characteristic of Arum. Soreness of nostrils. Acrid, excoriating discharge,producing raw sores. Nose obstructed; must breathe through mouth. Boring in the nose. Coryza; discharge blood-streaked, watery. Nose completely stopped, with fluent, acrid discharge. Hay-fever, with pain over root of nose. Large scabs high up on right side of nose. Face feels chapped, as if from cold wind; feels hot. Constant picking at nose until it bleeds. Headache from too warm clothing, from hot coffee. < northwest wind, lying down.

Arundo - A remedy for catarrhal states & Hay-fever. Hay-fever begins with burning and itching of palate and conjunctiva. Annoying itching in the nostrils and roof of the mouth. Coryza; loss of smell. Sneezing, itching of nostrils.

Aurum Mettalicum - Indicated for Ulcerated, painful, swollen, obstructed nose. Inflammation of nose; caries; fetid discharge, purulent, bloody. Boring pains in nose; worse at night. Putrid smell from nose. Sensitive smell. Horrible odor from nose and mouth. Knobby tip of nose. < in cold weather when getting cold. Many complaints come on only in winter; from sunset to sunrise

 

Euphrasia: Patient is better in open air. Catarrhal affections of mucous membranes especially of eyes and nose. Profuse acrid lachrymation and bland coryza; worse, evening. Hawking up of offensive mucus. < in evening, indoors, warmth; south winds; from light.

 

Ferrum Phos - Useful medicine for first stage of colds in the head. Predisposition to colds. Epistaxis; bright red blood. The typical Ferr.phos subject is nervous, sensitive, anemic with the false plethora and easy flushing of Ferrum. Indicted in pale, anaemic subjects, with violent local congestions. Haemorrhages are bright from any orifice. < at night and 4 to 6 p.m.; touch, jar, motion, right side. > by cold applications.

Kali Iod - The profuse, watery, acrid coryza that the drug produces serves as a sure guiding symptom, especially when associated with pain in frontal sinus. Violent headache in which pain intense over eyes and root of nose. Nose is red, swollen. Tip of nose red; profuse, acrid, hot, watery, thin discharge. Ozaena, with perforated septum. Sneezing. Nasal catarrh, involving frontal sinus. Stuffiness and dryness of nose, without discharge. Profuse, cool, greenish, unirritating discharges. < warm clothing, warm room, at night, damp weather. > motion, open air.

Merc Sol - Useful for Cold & Coryza in which there is much sneezing, in sunshine. Coryza; acrid discharge, but too thick to run down the lip; worse, warm room. Nostrils raw, ulcerated; nasal bones swollen. Yellow-green, fetid, pus like discharge. Pain and swelling of nasal bones, and caries, with greenish fetid ulceration. Nosebleed < at night. Copious discharge of corroding mucus. < at night, wet, damp weather, lying on right side, perspiring; warm room and warm bed.

Natrum Mur - Useful for violent, fluent coryza, lasting from one to three days, then changing into stoppage of nose, making breathing difficult. Discharge thin and watery, like raw white of egg. Violent sneezing coryza. Infallible for stopping a cold commencing with sneezing. Loss of smell and taste. Internal soreness of nose. Dryness. Frontal sinus inflammation. < noise, music, warm room, lying down about 10 a. m;, at seashore, mental exertion, consolation, heat, talking. > by open air, cold bathing, going without regular meals, lying on right side; pressure against back, tight clothing.

 

Nux Vomica - Indicated for stuffing up of nose < at night especially. Also useful for Stuffy colds, snuffles, after exposure to dry, cold atmosphere; worse, in warm room. Coryza is fluent in daytime; stuffed up at night and outdoors; or alternates between nostrils. Bleeding in morning. Acrid discharge, but with stuffed up feeling. Frontal headache, with desire to press the head against something.< morning, mental exertion, after eating, touch, spices, stimulants, narcotics, dry weather, cold.> from a nap, if allowed to finish it; in evening, while at rest, in damp, wet weather, strong pressure.

 

Silicea - There is Itching at point of nose. Dry, hard crusts form, bleeding when loosened. Nasal bones sensitive. Sneezing in morning. Obstructed and loss of smell. Perforation of septum. Headache in which pain begins at occiput, and spreads over head and settles over eyes. Silica patient is cold, chilly, hugs the fire, wants plenty warm clothing, hates drafts, hands and feet cold, worse in winter. Great sensitiveness to taking cold.< new moon, in morning, from washing, during menses, uncovering, lying down, damp, lying on, left side, cold.> warmth, wrapping up head, summer; in wet or humid weather.

 

Syphilinum - Indicated for Caries of nasal bones, hard palate and septum, with perforation; ozaena.< at night, sundown to sunrise, seashore, in summer.> inland and mountains, during day, moving about slowly.