Wounds and Injuries—Nose Injuries and Disorders

Also called: Nasal disorders

Your nose is important to your health. It filters the air you breathe, removing dust, germs, and irritants. It warms and moistens the air to keep your lungs and tubes that lead to them from drying out. Your nose also contains the nerve cells that help your sense of smell. When there is a problem with your nose, your whole body can suffer. For example, the stuffy nose of the common cold can make it hard for you to breathe, sleep, or get comfortable.

Many problems besides the common cold can affect the nose. They include

• Deviated septum – a shifting of the wall that divides the nasal cavity into halves
• Nasal polyps – soft growths that develop on the lining of your nose or sinuses
• Nosebleeds
• Rhinitis – inflammation of the nose and sinuses sometimes caused by allergies. The main symptom is a runny nose.
• Nasal fractures, also known as a broken nose

• Choanal atresia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Foreign body in the nose (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Nasal endoscopy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Nasal fracture – aftercare (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Nasal polyps (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Nose fracture (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Nosebleed (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Stuffy or runny nose – adult (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Stuffy or runny nose – children (Medical Encyclopedia)

Also called: Traumatic injuries

An injury is damage to your body. It is a general term that refers to harm caused by accidents, falls, hits, weapons, and more. In the U.S., millions of people injure themselves every year. These injuries range from minor to life-threatening. Injuries can happen at work or play, indoors or outdoors, driving a car, or walking across the street.

Wounds are injuries that break the skin or other body tissues. They include cuts, scrapes, scratches, and punctured skin. They often happen because of an accident, but surgery, sutures, and stitches also cause wounds. Minor wounds usually aren’t serious, but it is important to clean them. Serious and infected wounds may require first aid followed by a visit to your doctor. You should also seek attention if the wound is deep, you cannot close it yourself, you cannot stop the bleeding or get the dirt out, or it does not heal.

Other common types of injuries include

• Animal bites
• Bruises
• Burns
• Dislocations
• Electrical injuries
• Fractures
• Sprains and strains

• Bleeding (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Crush injury (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Cuts and puncture wounds (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Electrical injury (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Gunshot wounds — aftercare (Medical Encyclopedia)
• How wounds heal (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Laceration – sutures or staples – at home (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lacerations – liquid bandage (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Surgical wound care (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Surgical wound infection – treatment (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Wet to dry dressing changes (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Wound care centers (Medical Encyclopedia)