Do you notice you breathe worse through one side of your nose? Do you snore more than usual, wake up with a dry mouth, or feel breathless during exercise? These symptoms, common enough that many people write them off as normal, can have a specific cause: a deviated nasal septum.
The nasal septum is the bone and cartilage structure that divides the nose into two passages. When it isn’t centred — whether from birth or from a blow you don’t even remember — airflow becomes difficult through one or both passages, and over time this affects your everyday life.
Most common symptoms of a deviated septum
- Difficulty breathing through one side of the nose, especially when lying down or during physical effort.
- Snoring or a feeling of nasal congestion at night.
- Dry mouth on waking, caused by breathing through the mouth while asleep.
- Fatigue or breathlessness during exercise, due to reduced oxygen intake.
- Recurrent nasal congestion, headaches linked to nasal pressure, or even snoring and mild sleep apnoea episodes.
According to Mayo Clinic, these symptoms can go unnoticed for years when the deviation is mild, and can worsen over time or after a nasal injury (Mayo Clinic — Deviated septum: symptoms and causes).
Present from birth, or from a forgotten injury?
A deviated septum has two main origins:
- Congenital: it develops during foetal growth or during birth itself, and is more common than it might seem.
- Traumatic: a blow to the nose — a fall, a sports accident, even one from childhood — can deviate the septum even if it didn’t seem serious at the time. Many patients don’t connect their current symptoms with an injury from years earlier.
How it’s diagnosed
Diagnosis is straightforward and takes place during a consultation, through a physical examination of the nose with no invasive tests required. Dr. Álvaro Pérez Villar, a maxillofacial surgeon specialising in facial surgery, assesses both the shape and the breathing function of the nose to determine whether a deviation exists and its degree.
The solution: functional rhinoplasty
When the deviation affects breathing, the surgical solution is functional rhinoplasty (also called rhinoseptoplasty when combined with an aesthetic adjustment). Unlike a purely aesthetic rhinoplasty, its main goal is to correct the septum and restore normal airflow through both nasal passages.
Thanks to ultrasonic rhinoplasty, this correction can be performed with greater precision on the nasal bone, while also preserving the aesthetic result when the patient wishes. Patients who undergo this surgery for functional reasons often notice an improvement in the shape of their nose as well. You can see a real case involving complex functional rhinoseptoplasty in this clinical case.
Frequently asked questions
Could a nasal injury from years ago have deviated my septum?
Yes. A nasal injury, even one that seemed minor or happened in childhood, can deviate the septum progressively over time. It’s one of the most common causes we see in consultation.
Is septoplasty the same as functional rhinoplasty?
Septoplasty corrects only the deviated septum. Functional rhinoplasty addresses the same breathing problem, but also allows the external shape of the nose to be adjusted if the patient wishes, in the same procedure.
Does ultrasonic rhinoplasty also correct breathing?
Yes. The ultrasonic technique isn’t only aesthetic: it allows the bone and septum to be worked with greater precision, making it equally effective for resolving functional problems caused by nasal deviation.
How do I know if my case needs surgery or if medical treatment is enough?
It depends on the degree of deviation and how it affects your quality of life. An in-person consultation with Dr. Álvaro Pérez Villar is the first step to finding out for certain.
Do these symptoms sound familiar?
If you breathe worse through one side of your nose, snore, wake up with a dry mouth, or feel breathless during exercise, you may have a deviated septum. Request a consultation with Dr. Álvaro Pérez Villar and find out whether functional rhinoplasty is the right solution for you.
