Diagnosis | Pain in and around the nasal bone

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of nasal bone pain is often based on the patient’s medical history and supplemented with further diagnostic measures. In any case, an examination of the nose should always be performed. After an external inspection and careful palpation of the nose, the inside of the nose should always be examined with a nasal mirror.

In most cases, this examination method allows the cause and extent to be assessed. The pain should be observed as it progresses. In the case of a violent impact, the arrangement of an X-ray, computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging should be decided on a case-by-case basis. The more severe the trauma is, the more likely it is that other structures and not least the brain are involved. However, since the injuries are highly variable, this must always be decided individually.

Treatment/Therapy

The treatment of nasal bone pain depends on the cause. In the case of infections, depending on the pathogen, only the symptoms are treated or, if necessary, with antibiotics to support the healing process. The pain on the nasal bone itself can be relieved by decongestant nasal drops.

If the swelling of the mucous membrane inside the nose subsides, the tension on the bone decreases. Trauma to the nasal bone must be treated according to its extent. In the case of bruises, local cooling of the nose several times a day for a few minutes is usually sufficient.

If the nose is broken, correction of a malposition may be necessary. Above all, it is important to exclude bleeding into the nasal septum in the case of injuries to the nose by means of an examination. If the partition wall of both nostrils appears swollen and filled with blood, a so-called relief incision must be made.

Otherwise the sensitive tissue will be damaged. This damage is irreversible and would lead to impaired breathing.Once an injured nose has been treated, it is very important to take care of it. This does not include a temporary tamponade of the nostrils or even an external splinting. and surgery for a fractured nasal bone