How do I know if my 3 yr old has broken her nose?

Question

She was playing on the sofa in the conservatory & fell off face 1st.She had a nose bleed on one side for a few minutes, but everything looks in place.A faint bruise appeared after 10/15 mins across the bridge of her nose & a bit of swelling on the opposite side to the bleed about an hour later. I phoned a friend who works in the ear/nose/throat dept at our local hosp. & she says that even if it is broken they wouldn't do anything as shes under12 &her bones are still quite soft. As the swelling didn't appear straight away its probably due to the bump to her nose rather than a break in it. As it is quite late into a Saturday evening we didn't want to sit for hours in A&E, but does anyone know what to look out for or whether we should take her to the minor injuries unit when they open in the morning? Don't want to be over anxious mother, but don't want her to have any long term nasal probs either (sounds as if she can breathe through both nostrils, but she has cold so hard to be sure!)

Answer 1

As a healthcare provider, I agree with your friend. Don't waste your time in a waiting room. Likewise...don't waste time worrying about it either. I bet your daughter has already forgot about it...she's right.

Answer 2

Broken Nose
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
A small fracture of the bone in your nose will usually heal in about a month. A really bad break may need surgery after the swelling is gone.
Causes
Any blow to the nose can cause a break. The injury is typically sustained during athletics or in a fall.
Signs/Symptoms
Swelling, pain, bruising, and bleeding can be expected. Your face may feel numb or tingle. If the break has pushed the bones out of place, the nose may seem out of shape.
Care
If you have a bad break, you will probably need an x-ray, and surgery may be necessary. X-rays often fail to detect a nasal fracture, so the doctor may delay them for 1 to 4 days after the injury, or until the swelling has gone down. The nose is usually filled with cotton packing, and you may have to wear a splint over the top of your nose for protection during the healing process. If skin was scratched or torn during the accident, you may also have to get a tetanus shot.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

* Apply ice to the injury for 15 to 20 minutes each hour for the first 1 to 2 days. Put the ice in a plastic bag and place a towel between the bag of ice and your skin.
* When you lie down, rest your head on 2 or 3 pillows so it is above the level of your heart. This will help reduce pain and swelling.
* Always take your medicine as directed. Over-the-counter medications may be taken for pain.
* If you are given a tetanus shot, your arm may get swollen, red, and warm to the touch at the injection site. This is a normal reaction to the medicine.
* If you are given a splint for your nose, try to keep it dry and do not remove it until your doctor gives the go-ahead.
* You may be allowed to take the splint off to shower. Ask your doctor whether this is okay.

Call Your Doctor If...

* The pain gets worse or you keep having nosebleeds.

Seek Care Immediately If...

* You have bleeding from the nose that does not stop after 10 minutes with the nostrils pinched closed.
* You see clear fluid draining from the nose.
* You notice a grape-like swelling on the septum (the wall between the nostrils). This is a collection of blood that must be drained to keep the nose from becoming infected.

Answer 3

2 Year Old Broken Nose

Answer 4

Okay anxious mother, signs of a broken nose, swelling of the nose and aroung the eyes so bad infact that it seems like your looking through slits, good news though is it doesnt actually hurt that much, You could try a quick call to NHS direct look it up on google but it sounds to me that its just a knock, but if you are worried dont worry about the anxious mother stuff get her checked tommorow. And for a broken nose there is little to be done anyway I still have my flat one!

Answer 5

Breaking your nose is like breaking a toe..it hurts, but it's not serious since it will heal itself and most likely it will look just like it did before it was broken.

Put some ice on it every now and then to help the bruising and swelling, but other than that don't worry about it. If she truly broke her nose--you would know it by all the screaming she was doing.

It'll be fine..even if it is broken (which it doesn't sound like it is).

Answer 6

They do not treat broken noses any more unless there are breathing problems so your friend is correct. Put something cool on it to keep the swelling down and if she appears in pain give her some pain medicine. Offer her a popsicle to keep her mind off of it.

Answer 7

does not sound like a broken nose it sounds like a good bump tho. dont worry too much kids always bruise easy if she can breathe ok there should be nothing to worry about keep an eye on her next few days and if still worried take her to doctors on monday. doctors would rather you take your child in than leave it even if nothings wrong.

Answer 8

The usual fix would be a lot more exercise, both physical and mental in the form of training and dog sports. German shepHERDS are very active, herding breeds that need a job to do. This sounds like a dog who`s very bored and frustrated because she`s not getting nearly enough activity in her life.

Answer 9

the cartilage in a 3 year old child is compared with a peace of thread, she could have a cracked skull but never a broken nose at that age.

Answer 10

this happend to me except it was a picture than fell on my nose and i had a bruise on the ridge of the nose if it is still there tomorrow i would take to the doctors as soon as possible