Perforated Septum Treatment in Palm Harbor, FL

Where Is My Septum?

The septum exists within the nose as the separator between nasal canals. You can feel the septum’s flexible cartilage if you use your fingers to pinch right between your nostrils.

A perforated septum is used to describe a situation in which a hole has developed in the septum.

ENT Specialist Jose A. Berrios, MD is board-certified and a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and has extensive experience treating perforated septums. Call Gulfcoast Ear, Nose, and Throat today at (727) 942-4005 to schedule a consultation. We are just a short drive from Largo, Clearwater, Dunedin, and Tampa.

What Are the Symptoms of a Perforated Septum?

There are many reasons as to why a perforated septum may happen, which causes symptoms to vary quite largely from person to person. The biggest factor is the size of the hole in the septum.

Often, when the hole is quite small, a person may not experience any symptoms from their perforated septum. However, the larger the hole becomes, the more likely you will be to notice symptoms such as:

• Wheezing within the nose
• Nose pain
• Frequent nosebleeds
• Scabbing within the nose
• A runny nose
• Crusting inside of the nose
• A foul smell stemming from within the nose
• A sensation of having a blockage in the nose

What Causes a Perforated Septum?

Just like the symptoms of a perforated septum, the exact cause can be tricky to detect. Usually, individuals will develop a perforated septum as a result of:

• A prior nose surgery
• Trauma to the nose
• An infection within the nose
• Heavy use of intranasal medications or illegal drugs
• An autoimmune disorder
• Chemotherapy

Those who work in a setting that includes frequent contact with strong chemicals like cement or arsenic are also at an increased risk of developing a perforated septum. It is always advised for employees in these types of environments to wear protective masks in order to minimize their chances of developing a medical condition like this.

Treatment for a Perforated Septum

For those that experience painful or troubling symptoms because of their perforated septum, it is advised to see an ENT specialist like Dr. Berrios for proper diagnosis and treatment of their condition.

The course of treatment will depend heavily on the cause of the perforated septum, if one can be identified. Usually, your Dr. Berrios will begin by exploring lifestyle changes or other nonsurgical options.

Some patients have found success by using a prosthetic button to manually plug the hole in their septum. This button can be custom-fitted to your individual nose, and can also be removed as needed for cleaning purposes.

If these first attempts are not enough to cure the patient’s discomfort, Dr. Berrios will move on to discussing surgical options that may be better suited to providing permanent relief from your symptoms.