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Understanding Nasal Anatomy: Outside View
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Why does your nose look the way it does? And what goes on inside a nose to let a person breathe easily? Learning the anatomy of the nose can help you better understand the answers to these questions.
The outside view
One way to tell if a nose fits well with a face (aesthetics) is to divide the face into 3 equal parts (thirds). The nose should fit in the middle third. Then, thinking of the nose as a triangle can help you see the best size and shape for the nose.
- From the front. Imagine a triangle starting at the top of your nose and extending to the outer corners of your mouth. Does your nose fit inside that triangle? The nose itself should also be shaped like a triangle. It should balance with the length and width of your face.
- From the side. Imagine a triangle with one side going along the bridge of the nose and another going out from the base of the nose. Does your nose fit within this triangle? The tilt of the tip should also balance with the forehead and chin.
- From beneath. The nostrils and tip of the nose should also form a triangle.
If you’re going to measure your nose, don’t use a picture from a selfie. The short distance from the camera to the face distorts the image. Most of the distortion occurs around the nose.
Understanding Nasal Anatomy: Inside View
A lot happens under the surface of the nose. The bone and cartilage under the skin give the nose most of its size and shape. Other structures inside and behind the nose help you breathe. Learning the anatomy of the nose can help you better understand how the nose works.
- Bone. This supports the bridge of the nose. The upper cartilage supports the side of the nose. The lower cartilage adds support, width, and height. It helps shape the nostrils and the tip of the nose.
- Skin. This also helps shape the nose.
- Nasal cavity. This is a hollow space behind the nose that air flows through.
- Septum. This is a thin wall made of cartilage and bone. It divides the inside of the nose into 2 parts.
- Mucous membrane. This is thin tissue that lines the nose, sinuses, and throat. It warms and moistens the air you breathe in. It also makes the sticky mucus that helps clean the air of dust and other small particles.
- Turbinates. These are curved, bony ridges on each side of the nose. They are lined with mucous membrane. They warm and moisten the air you breathe in.
- Sinuses. These are hollow, air-filled chambers in the bone around your nose. Mucus from the sinuses drains into the nasal cavity.
Image
Why does your nose look the way it does? And what goes on inside a nose to let a person breathe easily? Learning the anatomy of the nose can help you better understand the answers to these questions.
The outside view
One way to tell if a nose fits well with a face (aesthetics) is to divide the face into 3 equal parts (thirds). The nose should fit in the middle third. Then, thinking of the nose as a triangle can help you see the best size and shape for the nose.
- From the front. Imagine a triangle starting at the top of your nose and extending to the outer corners of your mouth. Does your nose fit inside that triangle? The nose itself should also be shaped like a triangle. It should balance with the length and width of your face.
- From the side. Imagine a triangle with one side going along the bridge of the nose and another going out from the base of the nose. Does your nose fit within this triangle? The tilt of the tip should also balance with the forehead and chin.
- From beneath. The nostrils and tip of the nose should also form a triangle.
If you’re going to measure your nose, don’t use a picture from a selfie. The short distance from the camera to the face distorts the image. Most of the distortion occurs around the nose.
Understanding Nasal Anatomy: Inside View
A lot happens under the surface of the nose. The bone and cartilage under the skin give the nose most of its size and shape. Other structures inside and behind the nose help you breathe. Learning the anatomy of the nose can help you better understand how the nose works.
- Bone. This supports the bridge of the nose. The upper cartilage supports the side of the nose. The lower cartilage adds support, width, and height. It helps shape the nostrils and the tip of the nose.
- Skin. This also helps shape the nose.
- Nasal cavity. This is a hollow space behind the nose that air flows through.
- Septum. This is a thin wall made of cartilage and bone. It divides the inside of the nose into 2 parts.
- Mucous membrane. This is thin tissue that lines the nose, sinuses, and throat. It warms and moistens the air you breathe in. It also makes the sticky mucus that helps clean the air of dust and other small particles.
- Turbinates. These are curved, bony ridges on each side of the nose. They are lined with mucous membrane. They warm and moisten the air you breathe in.
- Sinuses. These are hollow, air-filled chambers in the bone around your nose. Mucus from the sinuses drains into the nasal cavity.
A broken nose usually heals well with proper care. Sometimes surgery is needed, but this is uncommon.
Your Child's Diagnosis
A broken (fractured) nose typically occurs from a blow to the face. The fracture can be just a crack in the bone or the bone could be out of place and might need to be straightened.
Health care providers often diagnose a nasal fracture by examining the injured nose. Most times an X-ray is not needed because only a small portion of the nose is made of bone (which can be seen on an X-ray); the rest is made of cartilage (which cannot). If your child had X-rays on this visit, the results were reviewed with you.
A broken nose may look crooked, swollen, and bruised. In the first few days after the injury, the bruising and swelling may spread to the area around the eyes.
The health care provider may want your child to see an otolaryngologist — an ears, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor. It is best to see the specialist after a few days, when the swelling has gone down. At that time, if the nose appears crooked the ENT doctor may want to straighten it, which is done in the operating room.
Care Instructions
- Give your child any prescribed medicine or ointment as directed by the health care provider.
- If your child is uncomfortable, a medication may help:
- For children under 6 months, you may give acetaminophen.
- For children over 6 months, you may give acetaminophen OR ibuprofen, if recommended by your health care provider.
- To reduce swelling:
- Your child should sleep sitting up or with the head propped on pillows.
- Hold a cold pack wrapped in a towel to your child's nose for 15–20 minutes a few times each day. Do not apply ice directly to the skin.
- If your child has a nosebleed, tip your child's head forward (not back) and pinch the soft part of the nose gently for 10 minutes.
- Discourage your child from blowing the nose.
Special Instructions
- Make any follow-up appointments as directed.
- Bring a recent photo of your child to the follow-up visit so the health care provider can see the shape of the nose before the injury.
- Ask your health care provider when your child can return to sports.
Call Your Healthcare Provider if...
Your child has:
- A fever.
- A very heavy nosebleed or one that doesn't stop after applying pressure two times for 10 minutes each.
- Blurry or double vision.
- A problem smelling things after the swelling goes down.
- New or increasing pain.
- Increasing difficulty breathing through the nose.
Go to the ER if...
Your child:
- Has trouble breathing.
- Becomes dizzy, disoriented, or loses consciousness.
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