Noncosmetic Reasons You Might Need a Rhinoplasty

More than 207,000 nose jobs are performed every year, because it's a safe and effective way to correct a misshapen nose and create a more balanced, symmetrical face. But rhinoplasty does more than just alter your looks; it changes the way your nose functions as well.

Here at Robert Andrews Laser & Medical Aesthetics, we care about both form and function, and we can help you improve both with rhinoplasty. Here are some of the reasons you might need to consider this life-changing procedure even if your nose looks fine on the outside.

You have sleep apnea

If you’re a heavy snorer — particularly if you find yourself gasping for air at night or waking up tired, headachy, and with a dry mouth — you may have sleep apnea. One of the causes is that your nasal passages are too narrow due to a deviated septum, the wall that runs down the middle of the inside of your nose between your nostrils. 

If your septum has a deformity, if it’s offset or misaligned, it restricts airflow and can be especially dangerous while you’re sleeping. Rhinoplasty can solve your septum issue and have you sleeping soundly and breathing freely again.

You have a broken nose

Hockey sticks, baseball bats, helmets, and even elbows and fists fly during sports contents, and the nose seems to be the inevitable target. But car accidents and serious falls can crack your nose as well. Some might consider a broken nose a badge of honor, especially if it happened during a rough game of rugby or a bout of boxing. 

But regardless of how you feel about the image, the damage inside is hindering your breathing. During your rhinoplasty procedure, we can straighten the cartilage and reset the bone so you can breathe better. 

You have constant sinus problems

If you find yourself continually battling sinus infections and having to take repeated rounds of antibiotics, there might be a problem with your nasal passages. A broken nose or deviated septum can both lead to chronic sinus issues, but genetics and aging come into play as well. Some people are born with narrow nasal passages or nasal valves. But even if you were born with sufficient space, as time passes, tissues become slack and the space gets cramped. Rhinoplasty clears the path.

You have a cleft palate

As a baby develops in the womb, occasionally the process fails to complete, as is the case when a child is born with a cleft palate or cleft lip. This occurs when the palate (the roof of the mouth) doesn’t close, which leaves a cleft (gap) in the upper lip. This condition often affects the nose as well, and rhinoplasty becomes part of the overall treatment to restore the facial features. 

You had brain surgery

If you had a brain tumor, cancerous or not, and it was removed, the procedure likely took place through your nose. This necessary surgery may have saved your life, but it also may have damaged your nasal passages, which now need to be repaired with rhinoplasty.

If you think you might need rhinoplasty to fix one of these serious medical conditions, contact us at our office in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at 719-394-8450, or request an appointment online today. You could be breathing easier soon.