Deviated Septum

A deviated septum is a displacement of the nasal septum, the wall of bone and cartilage that divides the nasal cavity into two nostrils and normally sits centrally to create two symmetrical airways. Some degree of displacement is extremely common, affecting about eighty percent of people, most of whom are unaware of it and never need treatment; the condition becomes clinically significant only when the shift is substantial enough to cause problems. When it does cause symptoms, these can include sinus infections, sleep apnea, snoring, repeated sneezing, facial pain, nosebleeds, mouth breathing, difficulty breathing through the nose, and loss of the sense of smell. Causes include uneven growth of the septum during development, congenital abnormality, trauma from contact sports, accidents, or childbirth, and a broken nose, and it is also associated with genetic connective tissue disorders such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. It is treated within the specialty of otorhinolaryngology, commonly known as ear, nose, and throat medicine.