{"id":19706,"date":"2022-06-16T09:00:15","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T14:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thepapergown.zocdoc.com\/?p=19706"},"modified":"2023-03-06T15:51:39","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T20:51:39","slug":"the-risks-of-an-undiagnosed-deviated-septum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-risks-of-an-undiagnosed-deviated-septum\/","title":{"rendered":"The Risks of an Undiagnosed Deviated Septum"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a decent chance you have a deviated septum \u2014 a displacement of the thin wall between your nostrils that can make one nasal passage smaller than the other.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Around\u00a0<\/span>80 percent<\/span><\/a>\u00a0of Americans have this condition, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology\u2013Head and Neck Surgery Foundation. For most, a deviated septum presents no symptoms and carries no risk.\u00a0But for some, a deviated septum can affect breathing and overall health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, some people with deviated septums might not catch the issue until they focus on fixing other problems. For instance, one study found that <\/span>66 percent<\/span><\/a> of patients seeking relief for allergy-related congestion also had deviated septums.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to tell if you have a deviated septum, the risks it carries and what type of treatment can manage these risks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is a deviated septum? How might you know if you have one?<\/h3>\n

Your nasal septum is the thin wall of cartilage between your left and right nasal passages. It\u2019s considered \u201cdeviated\u201d if it’s off-center or displaced to one side, making one nasal passage narrower than the other.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThough some people do suffer injuries that can damage the nose and cause a deviated septum, for most people, it\u2019s congenital \u2014 they were born with it, ” says <\/span>Dr.\u00a0Madeleine Schaberg,<\/span><\/a> an otolaryngology specialist and surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.<\/span><\/p>\n

For many who are affected, this asymmetry is slight, even unnoticeable. Yet for some, the asymmetry might be debilitating. Symptoms of a severely deviated septum include facial pressure or pain, sinus headaches and a greater likelihood of nosebleeds, sinus infections or sleep apnea.\u00a0But the most significant sign is impaired breathing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You usually can\u2019t breathe well through one side of the nose, Schaberg points out. \u201cYou can breathe a little bit through one side of the nose, but not at all through the other,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u201dYou may notice this more when you\u2019re sick with a cold or suffering from allergies.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Schaberg says she typically sees people come in for deviated septum diagnoses in their mid-to-late 20s. They\u2019ll often realize they might be affected after reading a news article or taking a yoga class and being unable to breathe through their nose, she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What are the risks of an untreated deviated septum?<\/h3>\n

In severe cases, a deviated septum presents several health risks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n