How exactly do they diagnose and fix a broken nose?

History, exam, force: There are two reasons to fix a broken nose, if you don't like the way that it workand/or how it looks. I see many patients who have injured their noses and I do not believe x-rays have any role to play in the simple broken nose. If the nose is hit and there's bleeding and swelling then the nose was broken. If after the swelling goes down it looks okay and you can breathe forget about it. Otherwise surgery can put the bones back.

Exam: To see if the nose is broken it is essential to be examined by plastic surgeon or ent. An internal and external examwill show the degree of fracture and if treatment needs to be obtained.

Examination: It may not matter. What does matter are 2 things: can you breathe through both sides, and how is the appearance? If you cannot breathe through one side or you have a deformity; then it is time for an ENT repair surgery. Nose fractures can be diagnosed by x-ray, but x-rays may not be necessary if you have the answers to the 2 questions.