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Broken Nose and Nose Injuries — First Aid
What to do
- Treat any bleeding first as a nosebleed: sit the person leaning forwards and pinch the soft part of the nose for 10 to 15 minutes (see Nosebleed).
- Apply a wrapped cold pack to the bridge of the nose for short periods to reduce pain and swelling. Do not press hard on a possibly broken nose.
- Check for more serious injury: the blow may have caused a head injury (see Head Injury and Concussion) — call 911 for any head-injury warning signs.
- Look at the nose once bleeding settles: obvious crookedness, severe swelling, or a blood blister inside the septum (a soft swelling blocking one side) all need urgent assessment.
- Simple pain relief can be taken as directed on the packet. Avoid blowing the nose for the first day, and avoid contact sport until assessed.
- Arrange medical assessment the same day for any suspected broken nose; if the nose is crooked, straightening works best within the first one to two weeks, before the bones set.
What NOT to do
- Do not try to straighten the nose yourself.
- Do not ignore a one-sided blocked, swollen septum — a septal haematoma needs urgent drainage to protect the cartilage.
- Do not blow the nose forcefully — it can push air into tissues and worsen swelling.
- Do not delay assessment of a crooked nose beyond two weeks, when correction becomes much harder.
When to get medical care
Emergency care for nose injuries with head-injury signs, clear watery fluid dripping from the nose (possible skull fracture), uncontrolled bleeding, difficulty breathing through the nose with a swollen septum, or deformity with severe pain. Same-day assessment for any suspected fracture, especially with visible crookedness.
Related procedures & tests
Related symptoms
Frequently asked questions
Does a broken nose always need an X-ray?
Often not — nasal fractures are usually diagnosed by examination, and X-rays of the nose itself add little. What matters is checking for septal haematoma, other facial injuries and head injury, and assessing alignment once swelling settles over a few days.
How long do I have to get a crooked nose straightened?
Manipulation is usually performed within about 7 to 14 days of injury, once initial swelling has reduced enough to judge alignment but before the bones heal in position. That is why same-day or next-day assessment matters even if treatment is scheduled later.
In an emergency, call 911 (or your local emergency number) first — do not delay a call to read a guide. These pages are educational first-aid information in general terms; they are not a substitute for emergency services, first-aid training, or assessment by a qualified clinician.
