Recovery guide
Broken Nose (Nasal Fracture) Recovery Guide
Quick answer: After a broken nose is set, expect mild bleeding for the first few days, congestion, and possibly splints inside or on the outside of the nose until your first visit. Use saline spray, do not blow your nose for 1 week, avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for 2 weeks, and protect your nose from any injury for at least 6 weeks while the bones heal.
What should I expect?
In a closed reduction, the bones are moved back into place without any cuts on the outside of the nose. Afterward, expect:
- Mild bleeding from the nose for the first few days.
- Nasal pain and congestion. You may feel more stuffed up than before because of swelling, and splints if you have them.
- Numbness of the upper front teeth. This almost always goes away within a few weeks.
What about splints?
- You may have soft plastic splints inside your nose, held in place by a stitch. They come out at your first post-op visit.
- You may have a splint on the outside of your nose, held on with tape and surgical glue. It also comes off at your first post-op visit.
- If the outside splint falls off early, gently place it back on your nose and secure it with medical tape from a pharmacy.
How do I care for my nose?
- Saline spray: use nasal saline spray every few hours while awake until your follow-up visit.
- Afrin (oxymetazoline): you may use it as needed for bleeding and congestion for 3 to 5 days, then stop.
- Sleep with your head raised on an extra pillow or two.
- Mild bleeding: tape a piece of gauze under your nose and change it as needed.
- Pain: pain can usually be controlled with over-the-counter acetaminophen (Tylenol) and either ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), taken as directed on the bottle.
- Do not blow your nose for the first week, and sneeze with your mouth open.
When can I get back to normal?
- No heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for 2 weeks. Light jogging is fine.
- Your nose is fragile for at least 6 weeks while the bones heal. Avoid anything that could injure it during this time.
- For sports, see the timeline below.
- If your breathing or the shape of your nose is still not right once the swelling has gone down, tell us. A later procedure is sometimes needed.
When can I play sports again?
These are general timelines for after a broken nose is set. Every injury is different, so check with us before you go back to any sport that could hit your face, and follow your surgeon’s advice if it differs.
| Type of sport | Examples | When to return |
|---|---|---|
| Light exercise | Walking, light jogging, stationary bike | Fine right away. |
| Non-contact sports and workouts | Running, cycling, swimming, tennis, golf, weight training | After 2 weeks. Avoid anything that could hit your face for at least 6 weeks. |
| Contact sports, and sports where a ball can hit the face | Soccer, basketball, football, baseball and softball, volleyball, hockey, lacrosse, rugby | Usually no sooner than 3 weeks, and only with a protective face mask until at least 6 weeks after your nose was set. |
| Combat sports | Boxing, mixed martial arts, kickboxing, wrestling | Usually about 3 months. |
- A protective face mask, often custom-fitted, lowers the chance of breaking the nose again while it heals. Ask us about one before returning to a contact sport.
- Get out of the game and call us if your nose is hit again and becomes more crooked, bleeds heavily, or you have trouble breathing through it.
When should I call?
Call us for
- A fever over 101°F that does not go away
- Nasal pain that gets worse or becomes severe
- Blockage, pressure or pain inside the nose that gets worse in the first few days instead of better. Call us promptly.
- Bleeding from the nose that does not stop, or any bleeding that worries you
Call 911 or go to the ER for
Severe bleeding that cannot be controlled, or bleeding with lightheadedness or fainting.
Austin 512-339-4040 · Lakeway 512-682-4798 · Marble Falls 830-992-2830
Questions patients ask
The nose is fragile for at least 6 weeks while the bones heal, so protect it from any injury during that time. Most of the swelling and congestion improve over the first couple of weeks.
Splints inside the nose and any splint on the outside are removed at your first post-op visit.
Numbness of the upper front teeth is common after the nose is set. It almost always goes away within a few weeks.
Avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise for 2 weeks. Light jogging is fine. Avoid anything that could injure the nose for at least 6 weeks.
Usually no sooner than 3 weeks after the nose is set, and only with a protective face mask until at least 6 weeks. Combat sports such as boxing and mixed martial arts usually wait about 3 months. Check with us before you return.
This guide is for educational purposes only and does not replace an in-person evaluation. If your surgeon gave you different instructions, follow theirs.
Full guide: capitalent.com/nasal-fracture-recovery.html
Sources
- Patel Y, Goljan P, Pierce TP, et al. Management of Nasal Fractures in Sports. Sports Medicine. 2017;47(10):1919-1923. PubMed 28417330
- Ansari U, Wong E, Arvier J, et al. Early return to sport post maxillofacial fracture injury in the professional athlete: a systematic review. Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery. 2019;47(9):1323-1330. PubMed 31377073