The 5 Symptoms Of A Deviated Septum

Septum Symptom #1: Difficulty Breathing

A misaligned septum makes it more difficult for air to pass through the nostrils and into your lungs. As a result, you may encounter trouble breathing—especially when you have a cold or allergies. Those conditions make your nasal passages swell and narrow, which further constrains your ability to breathe.

Deviated Septum Symptom #2: Regular Nose Bleeds

In some patients, a deviated septum leads to regular nosebleeds. That’s because the curvature of the septum creates turbulence as air passes through the nostril. In noses, the more turbulence on the septum, the drier it becomes and that can lead to a bloody nose.

Deviated Septum Symptom #3: Frequent Sinus Infections or Cold Symptoms

A clogged airway or impaired breathing through your nose often leads to sinus infections, post-nasal drip or what many people simply term the “common cold” symptoms. If medicines do not help cure your sinus infections or nasal drip, you should seek help from an otolaryngologist.

Deviated Septum Symptom #4: Facial Pain and Headaches

People with a deviated septum feel “clogged up.” That can lead to headaches and facial pain. In some cases, facial and nose pain is caused by the nasal septum actually contacting the outside wall of your nose. Obviously, that’s a severely deviated septum and one that merits an exam by a trained ENT doctor.

Deviated Septum Symptom #5: Difficulty Sleeping

One or all of these deviated septum symptoms can contribute to great difficulty sleeping. A deviated septum can cause you to lose sleep and that can make you irritable. More critically, a deviated symptom can contribute to sleep apnea, which is a serious sleep disorder.

Dr. Kevin Sadati is one of the top California facial plastic and ENT surgeons specializing in minimally invasive facial and nasal surgery. He is Board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Otolarynology Head and Neck Surgery (AOBOO-HNS), Diplomate of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS) and a member of the prestigious American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (AAFRS).

Dr. Kevin Sadati has over a decade of experience in the field of nose, sinus and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, and has become one of the most sought after plastic surgeons in Newport Beach and Orange County as a facelift, rhinoplasty, neck and face liposuction and sinus surgery specialist.