How to Tell If You Have a Broken Nose

Having a broken nose is very painful in most cases---not to mention potentially disfiguring. A break can cause your nose to become misshapen if it doesn't receive proper care. Whenever you sustain a powerful blow to your nose, it is possible to fracture the septum, or nose bone, causing the nose to break away from its anchor to the skull. It can then "slide" off to one side. Being able to tell if your nose is broken is the first step to proper treatment.

Things You'll Need

• Mirror
• Another person
• Doctor

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Instructions

How to Tell if You Have a Broken Nose

• 1

  Recognize the noise that accompanies the injury. Hearing a "snap" when you sustain a sharp blow to the face or nose, as well as experiencing a large amount of intense pain and/or blood from the nose, is a good indication you may have broken the nose.

• 2

  Watch for bruising around the eyes or around the nose with the bruising trickling into the eye area. Bruising accompanied by pain in the nose or at the bridge of the nose is another good indicator that your nose is busted.

• 3

  Look in the mirror, or have another person study your face from the front. If the nose appears "crooked," and it is accompanied with pain, you probably have a broken nose.

• 4

  See a doctor if your nose feels "stuffy," runs mucus that may or may not be bloody, swells or becomes more tender, especially to touch. Even if it has been several days since the injury was incurred, seeing a doctor is important for the best possible recovery.