Best ENT Doctor in Orange County

While some people are born with a deviated septum, others suffer from it as the result of an injury or accident.

A deviated septum can be repaired in most cases and can offer permanent relief from this bothersome and sometimes painful nasal condition. You can consult with the best ENT doctor in Orange County for more information.

A deviated septum is a septum that is deviated out of its normal position. When the thin wall between your nasal passages leans or curves to one side, it is said to be deviated or out of place. In essence, it makes one nasal passage smaller than the other.

This condition often makes breathing one the affected side of the nose more difficult. Some people prefer to lie on one side rather than the other at nighttime to breathe easier.

Further, this nasal condition can cause other complications like:

• Swelling of the nasal lining
• Nasal obstruction
• Facial pain
• Frequent nose bleeds
• Snoring
• Chronic sinus infections

This condition can be easily treated in most instance, however. When you consult with the best ENT doctor in Orange County, you can find out what your options are for correcting your deviated septum.

To correct a deviated septum, surgery is nearly always required. Surgery for this condition is called a septoplasty. The operation takes about 30 to 90 minutes to perform depending on the severity of the deviated septum.

It is performed under local or general anesthesia and on an outpatient basis. Once the patient is asleep, the best ENT doctor in Orange County makes an incision on the side of the nose to access the septum and mucous lining. The lining is lifted before the septum is put back in its correct position. The lining is then put back in its rightful place before the incisions are glued or sutured shut.

The nose may be packed with gauze or bandages to stop the bleeding. The patient is then kept under observation for about an hour before being allowed to go home.

Recovering from a septoplasty lasts for several weeks. During your recovery period, it is crucial that you limit all of your activities. You should not exert yourself or do strenuous exercises in order to prevent bleeding from the nose.

You also should rest with your head elevated and avoid blowing your nose, which can loosen the blood clots in your nasal passages. You likewise should avoid wearing shirts that pull down over your head, which can cause your nose to bleed if it is bumped. You should wear shirts that fasten in the front to protect your nose.

A deviated septum makes breathing normally challenging or in some cases impossible. This condition can be easily remedied with surgery, however. Before you undergo septoplasty, you may want to consult with the best ENT doctor in Orange County to learn more about this type of surgery.