How to manage burning pain after surgery in the nose

In various surgical procedures that involve the nose, including septoplasties and turbinoplasties, a patient can expect symptoms of tenderness, swelling, and burning pain after surgery. Your body’s reaction to post surgery pain from this alteration is completely natural and the recovery process is likely to take many weeks to entirely recover. Here are a few steps that you can take to accelerate the healing process and manage the pain that comes during it.

Step one: When laying down, make sure to keep your head elevated with an extra pillow. Sitting upright can substantially help reduce any swelling or bleeding that may occur. Nosebleeds are often caused by dryness in the nostrils due to nasal membranes drying out. To avoid this, I also recommend obtaining a humidifier which reduces the dryness of the air and helps alleviate the pain as a result.

Step two: Ensure that you refrain from blowing your nose, participating in strenuous activities, or lifting heavy objects as these can greatly increase the chances of bleeding in the nose.

Step three: Utilize a saline spray or nasal lubricant to help loosen hardened mucus and disinfect your nostrils. Doing this also makes it significantly easier to breathe and reduces nasal congestion. I highly encourage you to only use these methods in their prescribed doses or the doses listed on the packaging.

Step four: Avoid taking aspirin as it can increase chances of bleeding in the nose and slows your body’s ability to clot blood and heal wounds such as nasal scars. This is caused by the blood thinning and coagulation being severely reduced.

Step five: To alleviate the pain and discomfort caused by swelling and bleeding, utilize extra strength Tylenol. If you are experiencing more pain than you feel is usual, immediately consult your physician and inquire about prescribed post operative pain medicine.