The need for rhinoplasty isn’t always obvious. While some issues (like the presence of a severely deviated septum) may be visually evident, others manifest more subtly. If you have any of the following symptoms, then it may be time to visit both your doctor and a plastic surgeon:

Chronic nasal congestion that has no obvious cause

If your nose frequently feels “stuffed up” but you test negative for allergies, then a structural abnormality inside your nose may be to blame.

Breathing difficulties

Breathing difficulties are, of course, the most obvious symptom of problems with the nasal cavity. If you notice you cannot breathe easily through one or both nostrils, that you have a hard time breathing deeply enough when you exert yourself, or that you are having breathing problems during the night, then you almost certainly need a rhinoplasty.

Recurrent sinus infections

Sometimes, if a person has a severely deviated septum, the sinus cavities become so inflamed and irritated that they end up getting infected. If you often get sinus infections that cannot be traced back to another cause (like allergies or the use of medications that dry out the mucus membranes), then you should investigate the possibility of getting a rhinoplasty. While sinus infections are rarely very dangerous, like all infections they do have the possibility of becoming serious. As such, it’s better to get to the root cause of them and correct it.

Excessive thirst

If you typically have a very dry mouth that causes you to need to sip water throughout the day to avoid feeling parched, then you’re probably a “mouth breather.” Breathing through the mouth, which can have a detrimental impact on the health of the teeth and gums, is usually caused by problems with the nose.

Frequent nosebleeds

While most people get nosebleeds from time to time (usually as a result of being exposed to irritants in the air or breaking a blood vessel while clearing their nose), recurrent nosebleeds are often a sign of a deviated septum. A deviated septum is a condition in which the nasal septum (the thin section of bone and cartilage that divides the nasal cavity in half) is off center or misshapen, making it harder to breathe.

Difficulties with smell and taste

When one or both nasal passages are compromised by problems like a deviated septum or nasal polyps, it often becomes more difficult to smell. Because our sense of smell is strongly linked to our ability to taste food, taste may also be compromised by nasal issues.

Chronic bad breath

Sometimes, rather than flowing out of the nostrils, nasal mucus backs up into the throat. This condition, called post-nasal drip, often causes bad breath and the need for repeated throat clearing.

Schedule a Consultation

Gilpin Facial Plastics & Aesthetics offers industry-leading non-surgical treatments to support your surgical results or transform your skin as part of a professional-grade regimen. Our skincare specialists can help determine the treatment package that best suits your goals from our variety of skincare treatments, laser technologies, and injectables. If you are in the Nashville, TN area and have these issues and would like to learn more about how rhinoplasty could alleviate these issues, contact us using our online form.