About your visit
We have examined you and ascertained that your nose might be broken. However, we cannot fully examine your nose and treat it until the swelling has gone down. This will be after 4-8 days. If your nose appears crooked after the swelling has gone, you should call and make an appointment for a new examination at:
☐ Ear, nose and throat specialist in private practice.
☐ Rigshospitalet
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery & Audiology
Entrance 7, 4th floor, Section 7046
Inge Lehmanns Vej 8
2100 Copenhagen Ø
Telephone: (+45) 35 45 97 68
Monday-Friday from 09:00-11:00
Please bring a photo with a good likeness of your face from before the accident to the appointment.
When you get home
Contact your general practitioner if your condition deteriorates
Call your general practitioner or dial 1813 to reach the medical helpline outside your general practitioner’s opening hours if you experience the following:
- increasing pain
- nosebleed which cannot be stopped
- severe headache
- swelling that blocks your nostrils.
Take pain-relieving medicine if you are in pain
You should take pain-relieving medicine if you are in pain. Pain-relieving medicine can be bought over the counter. Take only the amount of pain reliever recommended on the package. Contact your general practitioner if you need help managing the pain.
You can see and feel that your nose has been injured
If you have bruised or broken your nose, it is normal to experience the following:
- Pain.
- Swelling.
- Bruising.
- Crookedness.
- Bleeding.
Place an extra pillow under your head when sleeping
You can reduce swelling and alleviate pain by sleeping with your head raised.
Use an ice compress
You can prepare an ice compress and place it on the swollen area or where you are experiencing pain. Wrap a bag of ice in a tea towel, for example, to avoid direct contact with your skin. Use a compress 2-3 times a day for 15-20 minutes. This will relieve the pain in your nose.
Avoid nosebleeds
To prevent nosebleeds after injuring your nose, take the following precautions the next 24 hours:
- Only drink and eat cold things.
- Avoid hot showers/baths.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not drink alcohol.
- Rest and avoid bending down.
- Avoid blowing your nose.
If you cannot avoid blowing your nose, do it carefully. Only blow one nostril at a time. If you have cuts in your nose, leave the scabs for as long as possible.
Treating nosebleeds
If you experience another nosebleed, we recommend that you:
- sit upright and bend your head slightly towards your chest
- carefully blow your nose. It is normal for coagulated blood to come out
- use your thumb and pointer finger to squeeze the middle of your nose for ten minutes (between the soft and hard part)
- put an ice cube in your mouth and hold it on the roof of your mouth. If you have dentures or use a retainer, remove them first
- spit out the blood, as swallowing it may make you nauseous.
If the bleeding does not stop after 15 minutes, dial 1813 to reach the medical hotline.
Practical precautions
Tetanus vaccination
If you received a tetanus vaccination at the hospital, it is normal for the skin around the area to become red, swollen or tender. This will pass after a couple of days.
Worth knowing