Conditions
Nasal Septal Perforation
When former Eastenders actress, Daniella Westbrook, was photographed at the British Soap Awards in 2000 with her septum eroded from excessive coke-snorting, she not only became the poster girl for the ravages of cocaine, but also brought nasal septal perforation into the limelight. The septum, composed of cartilage and thin bone, can develop a hole in the cartilage, not only through cocaine use, but also as a complication of previous nasal surgery, excessive nose picking, trauma, cancer, or diseases such as tuberculosis or syphilis. As damage reduces blood supply in the septum, the cartilage begins to die, and a hole develops. Many septal perforations don’t need to be closed, and small perforations may need only frequent rinsing with prescription saltwater solutions and applying lubricating gels. Septal ‘buttons’ can also be inserted to fit the hole, which can be an alternative to surgery. However, there are various surgical techniques available for larger perforations, which can be performed under general anesthesia.
Comments
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments are reviewed before they are published.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out the Channel 4 Health site or NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
Important Notice
The information provided on this website (including any NHS Choices medical information) is for use as information or for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical care by a qualified doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. We do not warrant that any information included within this site will meet your health or medical requirements. This Embarrassing Bodies site does not provide any medical or diagnostic services so you should always check with a health professional if you have any concerns about your health.
If you want to embed our videos in your site, read our embedding T&Cs here

To Every one who has a septal perforation (hole in nose) i had a sinus and straightning operation for my nose,i was told that due to this operation it can leave a hole inside my nose and what happened after 3 years it has a very large hole in ny septum ent docter says it is a big operation and not guaranteed to work so am only 26 years old it is somthing which i have to live with any one who had this repaired please let me no? mary
Report this as offensive
i have a large hole in my nose im 24 its been there about 6 months and its getting bigger it very uncomfortable it only occured after my gp looked in my nose and i dont realy wanna go back to see her
Report this as offensive
hi
i'm 15, i think that i have a deviated septum and its really annoying, i dont think i snore, but i breath really loud and its so embarrassing, i cant breathe from my left nostril, how much would it cost to have it opertated on to fix it becuase its a health problem :( and can they reshaped it because its crooked?
thank you :)
Report this as offensive
I too have a large perforated septum and its quite daunting that you carn't seem to turn to your doctor for help. I am consulting with the ENT at my local hospital who advise that the operation is not a good option as it can make the whole bigger. As long as there is no infection just leave it alone and irrigate with saline solution daily
Report this as offensive
Dear Sirs,
I have had a hole in my septum for the past 7 years. 2 years ago I had an operation to fix the whole using the skin around the hole. I was told there was a 50/50 change of it working and to my horror, the hole returned 4 weeks later. I am 30 years of age and I am quite depressed about the state of the inside of my nose but don't know where to turn to get it sorted. Please could you maybe help as the hole has got bigger over time and I am really scared that in another 5 years, I will have nothing left !
Please help
Thank you very much.
Marion
Report this as offensive