Editing Nasal septum deviation (section)

== Signs and symptoms ==
The [[nasal septum]] is the bone and [[cartilage]] in the nose that separates the [[nasal cavity]] into the two [[nostril]]s. The cartilage is called the [[Septal nasal cartilage|quadrangular cartilage]] and the bones comprising the septum include the [[maxillary crest]], [[vomer]], and the [[Perpendicular plate of ethmoid bone|perpendicular plate of the ethmoid]]. Normally, the septum lies centrally, and thus the nasal passages are symmetrical.<ref name="aao">{{Cite web |author-link=American Academy of Otolaryngology |title=Fact Sheet: Deviated Septum |url=http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/deviatedSeptum.cfm |access-date=4 February 2009 |archive-date=6 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406075644/http://entnet.org/HealthInformation/deviatedSeptum.cfm |url-status=dead }}</ref> A deviated septum is an abnormal condition in which the top of the cartilaginous ridge leans to the left or the right, causing obstruction of the affected nasal passage. 

It is common for nasal septa to depart from the exact centerline; the septum is only considered deviated if the shift is substantial or causes problems.<ref name=metson/> By itself, a deviated septum can go undetected for years and thus be without any need for correction.<ref name=metson/>

Symptoms of a deviated septum include infections of the [[Paranasal sinuses|sinus]] and [[sleep apnea]], [[snoring]], repetitive [[sneezing]], facial pain, [[nosebleed]]s, [[mouth breathing]], difficulty with [[breathing]], mild to severe loss of the ability to [[Olfaction|smell]],<ref name="webmd" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 February 2015 |title=Disorders of Smell & Taste |url=http://care.american-rhinologic.org/disorders_of_smell_taste |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226143329/http://care.american-rhinologic.org/disorders_of_smell_taste |archive-date=26 December 2017 |access-date=19 May 2012 |publisher=American Rhinologic Society}}</ref> and possibly headaches.<ref name="l461">{{cite journal | last=Alghamdi | first=Fahad S | last2=Albogami | first2=Dhai | last3=Alsurayhi | first3=Atheer S | last4=Alshibely | first4=Anmar Y | last5=Alkaabi | first5=Tariq H | last6=Alqurashi | first6=Laila M | last7=Alahdal | first7=Ali A | last8=Saber | first8=Anfal A | last9=Almansouri | first9=Omar S | title=Nasal Septal Deviation: A Comprehensive Narrative Review | journal=Cureus | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | date=2022-11-10 | issn=2168-8184 | doi=10.7759/cureus.31317 | doi-access=free | page=| pmc=9736816 }}</ref> Only more severe cases of a deviated septum will cause symptoms of difficulty breathing and require treatment.<ref name="webmd">{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Jennifer |date=11 December 2016 |title=What Is a Deviated Septum? |url=http://www.webmd.com/allergies/deviated-septum |publisher=WebMD}}</ref>