What next for kid with broken nose?

May 28, 2022 9:17 AM

Our 12 year old son had a fall from a wall last night and broke his nose badly. ER doc said scans show multiple breaks though septum isn’t broken. It was really, disturbingly askew to one side when it happened. So, sent home with out anything on it and a referral to an ENT. What next?

Of course, it’s a holiday weekend so the ENT isn’t available til Tuesday. Doc said they will typically let it heal, see how it healed, and do surgery to rebreak if needed. There is no way in hell this is healing cleanly. How do we protect it over next few days? And he’s a middle schooler with all the angst that brings with it-any tips for navigating the next couple weeks? Anything to make him more comfortable?

posted by purenitrous to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

Is there someone on call at your doctor's practice you could run these questions by? If your kid is into graphic novels, Smile by Raina Telgemeier might be a helpful read . Hang in there!
posted by jeszac at 11:27 AM on May 28, 2022

Oh! And I would contact the school and warn them in advance so they can support him and so he doesn't have to field a million questions.
posted by jeszac at 11:28 AM on May 28, 2022

A consult with a plastic surgeon wouldn't be amiss.
posted by cooker girl at 12:10 PM on May 28, 2022

I broke my nose as a teenage girl. I wasn’t allowed to even consider plastic surgery to correct it until I had stopped growing. (Thankfully? I broke my nose the following summer straight again so that fixed that.) But just be aware that your son may need to be patient with getting it fixed.
posted by ozgirlabroad at 4:08 PM on May 28, 2022 [1 favorite]

My nose is so mangled that I can push the end of it against one cheek. I got it fixed in 1999 and my toddler kicked it askew again within a week, so it healed this way.

I had a nose doc look last year and he said he would do it if I insist, but he is kind of against working on them just to make them straight. My breathing is bad so I am still considering it, but...*shrug*
posted by wenestvedt at 4:33 PM on May 28, 2022 [2 favorites]

I broke my nose when I was about 12 as well. Doctors wouldn't do anything as I was still growing. I have no idea if this is good advice, but when I could stand the pain, I would hold my nose with my hands folded (like praying) and try to keep it aligned. I never had surgery. My nose is relatively straight now if not just bit wide in the middle.

Definitely speak with doctors.
posted by terrapin at 6:33 AM on May 29, 2022

Response by poster: Just to clarify, we will definitely see a doctor when offices open up again. Just wondering if there are things we can do in the interim.
posted by purenitrous at 9:51 AM on May 29, 2022

You don't need to do anything between now and Tuesday morning. If the break was the sort of thing that needed a cast, they would have done it in the ER. They did not, which means it will be fine in the short-to-medium term. Getting an ENT appointment on the next business day is frankly a goddamned miracle, and I promise nothing will happen in the interstitial 72 hours that you need to be worried about. If it's causing him discomfort, administer ice and NSAIDs as needed.

Source: talked to a doctor about this one time, and was once a 12-year-old with a broken nose and it was fine.
posted by Mayor West at 5:04 PM on May 29, 2022 [3 favorites]