injuries and poisoning
Fractures of the Nose
Introduction
The bones of the nose are broken more often than any other facial bone. Typically, a broken (fractured) nose bleeds, hurts, and swells. To diagnose a broken nose, a doctor looks at and feels the bridge of the nose. Doctors sometimes need to push the broken pieces of bone back into place. When nasal bones break, the mucous membrane lining the nose can tear, resulting in a nosebleed. Commonly, the bridge of the nose is pushed to one side. Sometimes the cartilage of the nasal septum (the rubbery tissue that divides the nasal cavity into two) can be pushed to one side. If blood collects under the membrane that lines the cartilage of the nasal septum (called septal hematoma), the cartilage may die. The dead cartilage may disintegrate, causing the bridge of the nose to sag in the middle (called saddle nose deformity). Saddle nose deformity occurs when cartilage in the nose dies and disintegrates. As a result, the bridge of the nose sags in the middle. Sometimes when a nose is broken, the bones that join the nose to the skull are damaged. This damage allows the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid) to leak out. This damage can also allow bacteria from the nose to enter the space around the brain and spinal cord and cause a serious infection ( Introduction to Meningitis ). 