A deviated septum does not always need treatment. In patients who have a badly deviated septum, a surgery called a septoplasty is used to straighten a crooked septum.
Nasal sprays do not help a deviated septum. There are several types of nasal spray that work in different ways.
- Saline nasal sprays can clear nasal passages
- Glucocorticoid nasal sprays can reduce inflammation inside the nasal cavity and sinuses
- Antihistamine nasal sprays have some anti-inflammatory effects and can relieve nasal congestion
- Decongestant nasal sprays shrink swollen nasal passages
If you have a cold, a stuffy nose, or allergies as well as a deviated septum, some of these sprays may alleviate symptoms, but none of them correct a deviated septum. Surgery is the only way to fix a deviated septum.
What Is a Deviated Septum?
The nose is divided into two nostrils by bone and cartilage called a septum. When the septum is off-center, it is called a deviated septum.
A deviated septum is a very common problem and it is estimated that up to 80% of people have one.
What Are Symptoms of a Deviated Septum?
A deviated septum may not cause any symptoms. If you have a deviated septum, you may experience the following:
- Difficulty breathing through the nose, usually worse on one side
- Stuffy nose, especially on one side
- Trouble sleeping
- Repeated sinus infections
- Nosebleeds
- Mouth-breathing during sleep in adults
- Noisy breathing during sleep in infants and young children
How Is a Deviated Septum Diagnosed?
A deviated septum is diagnosed with a patient history and physical examination of the inside of the nose.
Tests used to diagnose a deviated septum include:
- Nasal endoscopy
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan of the inside of the nose and sinuses
What Are Complications of a Deviated Septum?
Complications of a deviated septum may include:
- Repeated nosebleeds
- Mouth-breathing at night, which can worsen sleep disorders
Complications from surgery to fix a deviated septum (septoplasty) can include:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Complications from anesthesia
- Creation of a hole connecting the right and left sides of the nasal cavity (called a septal perforation)
- Numbness of the upper teeth and nose
- Change in the appearance of the external shape of the nose
- Cerebrospinal fluid leak (extremely rare)
From
https://www.enthealth.org/conditions/deviated-septum/
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/pharmacotherapy-of-allergic-rhinitis?search=nasal%20spray&source=search_result&selectedTitle=1~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=1