HealthInfo Canterbury
Broken nose
Ihu tāwhatiwhati
A broken nose (also called a fractured nose) is a common injury after a knock to your face.
Broken noses are usually swollen, red and sore. You may also have bruising, a bleeding nose or feel a crunching when you move your nose. Your nose might look bent, or you might find it hard to breathe through your nose.
Important
A knock to your head or face can also cause more serious injuries. You should go to the hospital Emergency Department as soon as possible if:
- clear fluid is trickling from your nose (call 111 for an ambulance as you may have a serious head injury)
- you have a severe headache, neck pain or a stiff neck. This is especially important if you have numb or tingling arms, blurred or double vision or other symptoms of a severe head injury, such as loss of consciousness or repeated vomiting.
You should see a health professional quickly if you have:
- a nosebleed that will not stop
- a cut or graze over your nose
- a blood clot or swelling inside your nose between your nostrils. This may be a septal haematoma, which needs to be drained straight away.
Diagnosing a broken nose
A health professional will usually be able to tell your nose is broken from the way it looks.
You will probably not need an X-ray of your broken nose unless your health professional thinks another bone in your face is broken.
Treating a broken nose
Most broken noses can be managed at home. To reduce swelling, hold an icepack against your nose for 15 minutes, once an hour for the first few days. Make sure there is a cloth between the ice and your skin, so you do not damage your skin.
The swelling will usually go down after a week, and the bruising will go in about two weeks.
You should see your general practice team if:
- the pain gets worse, or does not get better with simple pain relief like paracetamol
- the swelling has gone down, but you still find it hard to breathe through your nose
- your nose looks crooked
- the swelling has not gone down after a few days
- you have nosebleeds that keep coming and going
- you have a high temperature.
If your nose is severely broken, you may need to get it straightened (realigned) by an otolaryngologist. Otolaryngologists were previously called ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists. It is best to do this within two weeks of the injury. You might need to wait till there is less swelling before your doctor can decide if your nose needs to be straightened.
You will usually be given a local anaesthetic that can numb your nose for two to four hours before straightening. If you are unhappy with either how you are breathing or the shape of your nose, ACC might cover the cost of private surgery. Talk to your health professional about this.
On the next page: Caring for your broken nose after surgery
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed October 2023.
SourcesReview key: HIBKN-171363
