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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you think you may have broken your nose, take these steps to reduce pain and swelling before seeing your doctor:
- Act quickly. When the break first occurs, breathe through your mouth and lean forward to reduce the amount of blood that drains into your throat.
- Use ice. Apply ice packs or cold compresses immediately after the injury, and then at least four times a day for the first 24 to 48 hours to reduce swelling. Keep the ice or cold compress on for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Place a washcloth between your skin and the ice to prevent frostbite. Try not to apply too much pressure, which can cause additional pain or damage to your nose.
- Relieve pain. Take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), as necessary.
- Keep your head up. Elevate your head — especially when sleeping — to help reduce additional swelling and throbbing.
References
- Kucik CJ. Management of acute nasal fractures. American Family Physician. 2004;70:1315.
- Pope TT, et al. Maxillofacial and neck trauma. In: Stone CK, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Emergency Medicine. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3101510. Accessed May 27, 2009.
- Fractures of the nose. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec21/ch312/ch312d.html. Accessed May 30, 2009.
- Mendez DR, et al. Nasal trauma and fractures in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 22, 2009.
- Nasal fractures. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/Nasal-Fractures.cfm. Accessed May 30, 2009.
- Blum DJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 5, 2009.
