Swelling and bruising occur both on the outside and inside of the nose. It is normal to feel congested and have nasal obstruction and post-nasal drip immediately after nasal injuries. Most Washington, DC rhinoplasty patients and patients with a traumatic nose injury report that swelling resolves within a month. The final 20% of swelling takes a much longer time to resolve, up to a year or longer. Fortunately, this final swelling is usually only evident to Dr. Chaboki.
In addition to carefully following your surgeon’s guidelines, there are several things you can do to help reduce nasal swelling:
- Keep your head elevated
- Maintain the nasal splint / cast
- Apply ice to the cheeks, forehead, and nose
- Use Arnica Montana
- Avoid resting anything on the nose, including glasses and sunglasses
- Avoid blowing the nose or sneezing