Sneezing can cause further trauma to the fragile, yet sensitive nose and compromise the procedure's results. If possible, avoid sneezing through your nose for the first week or two during recovery to reduce pressure in your nose and airways to keep the sutures intact and minimize bleeding, swelling, and pain.
You Can Sneeze
Worried about sneezing after surgery? Don't. As long as you sneeze with your mouth open, to keep pressure off your nose, you'll be just fine.
If you must sneeze, open your mouth and sneeze naturally. Use saline (saltwater) nasal washes to help keep your nasal passages open and wash out mucus and dried blood. You can buy saline nose sprays at a grocery store or drugstore.
One of the risks and complications from septoplasty is damage to the septum or cartilage in the nose. A perforated septum, septal hematoma or infection can be complications of septoplasty, causing a weakened nasal structure that can lead to a bridge collapse.
Septoplasty can have (1) aesthetic complications related to cartilage weakness due to overresection (saddle nose, widened nasal base, loss of tip projection) or dislocations and (2) frequent functional complications like hemorrhage, septal hematoma/abscess/perforation, infection, and anosmia.
The cartilage and bone that make up the septum are fragile—especially in the healing period after surgery. Your healthcare provider will make several recommendations to optimize your healing after surgery. These may include: Taking one to two weeks off of work or school.
If your nose has been hit, place a cold compress on it immediately to reduce swelling. If there are signs that the nose has been broken, seek medical attention. A high impact blow to the nose can be a cause for concern, especially if there is extreme bruising, swelling, or a fracture.
A severely deviated septum causing nasal blockage can lead to: Dry mouth, due to chronic mouth breathing. A feeling of pressure or congestion in your nasal passages. Disturbed sleep, due to the unpleasantness of not being able to breathe comfortably through your nose at night.
Why am I sneezing so much after septoplasty? Many patients experience an increase in sneezing after septoplasty. This is because surgery irritates the nasal passages, causing swelling, dryness, crusting, and other uncomfortable sensations.
A perforated septum doesn't always cause any symptoms, but they can include nosebleeds, trouble breathing, and the feeling that your nose is blocked up. You might make a whistling sound as you breathe.
Postoperative care:
Do not blow your nose or attempt to clean it for the first week. After five days you may blow your nose and sniff in very gently. If you have to sneeze, do so with your mouth open.
The nasal turbinates will never grow back. Many techniques for reducing nasal turbinates exist, such as radiofrequency treatment.
If splints are used, these will be removed for you about 1 week after the operation, usually in the outpatient clinic. If you have a dressing, your nose will be totally blocked, so you will have to breathe through your mouth until the dressings are removed.
You will have to sleep with your head elevated for 24-48 hours after surgery to help the bleeding slow down and help the swelling resolve. Prior to surgery, set up your bed with at least two pillows so you can prop your head up at night.
A septoplasty is a great way to correct these symptoms, but it's important to know what to expect during your recovery. Similar to other forms of surgery, you'll need to spend some time recovering. In the case of a septoplasty, it usually takes about a month or two to completely heal.
In order to keep your nose moist and prevent the crusting, you should use saline (salt-water) nasal spray for at least two weeks following surgery. These sprays can be purchased over the counter at your pharmacy.
Yawning should also be avoided as extreme facial expressions may result in permanent damage to the rhinoplasty and the patient may not get their desired results. It is best to avoid extreme expressions for the first few weeks after getting the rhinoplasty done.
After the splint or packing is removed, you'll most likely breathe better than you did before surgery. You may have minor numbness, pain, swelling, and a little stiffness under the tip of the nose. In a few days, the inside of your nose may swell. Or a scab or crust may make it hard to breathe through your nose again.
Let's take a moment to discuss post-operative care and possible issues with sneezing. Following a septoplasty procedure Los Angeles patients are typically advised to try not to sneeze for a week or so after having this type of surgery. If you do, you may experience nasal bleeding and/or pain.
Other than the first initial days—during which your septum piercing will probably feel a little tender—you shouldn't expect any major pain or discomfort during the healing process (which, BTW, can take anywhere from six weeks to three months).
The septum piercing itself takes ages to heal, a whole 6 to 8 months to fully heal, though you can change out the ring at the 6 to 8 week mark. Pain and swelling is basically gone after 3 weeks. During this healing time, but especially at the start of it, you'll need to clean your nose often.
It's still possible that cartilage and tissue may gradually move or reshape over time. Some changes can still occur for up to a year or more after surgery. Most people find that septoplasty improves their symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, that were caused by a deviated septum.
Q: Will my nose be broken during a septoplasty? A: The procedure is performed on the inside of the nose and the bone and cartilage will be removed. Your nose will not be broken unless you are having a rhinoplasty performed at the same time.
You may feel some dissolvable stitches at the front of one of the nostrils. These can be safely ignored and will disappear after a week or two. Nasal saline rinses are the most important tool in restoring air flow through the nose.