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It has been a few months since you last saw your loved one. However, when you see them, you notice their nose is slightly deformed compared to when you last saw them. You ask them what happened, thinking perhaps they broke their nose, and they inform you that it occurred after using cocaine. This news surprises you, and you feel concerned about their health and safety.
In 2020, 86,000 people regularly used cocaine in Oregon. At Serenity Lane, we have specialty programs for families that support healthy communication among family members who might not understand their loved one’s cocaine use. One thing that can happen when with long-term or short-term cocaine use is cocaine nose. But what is cocaine nose?
Caused by frequent cocaine use, cocaine nose refers to several conditions that lead to the damage of the nasal tissues. Typically, it is caused by snorting cocaine, which can have many negative impacts on the overall health of your nose and nasal cavity. These damages include erosion of the nasal cavity.
When people snort cocaine, it is inhaled through the nose and absorbed into the bloodstream through nasal tissues, resulting in a high that involves mental alertness and heightened energy levels. However, this action may also damage the nose and nasal cavity. Your nose has hairs that trap toxins that try to enter your body. When you repeatedly use cocaine over a long period, these hairs can become damaged, diminishing their efficacy. It can also constrict blood vessels and decrease the blood supply to the lining of the nose. This lining is already fragile, and repeated use of cocaine can result in it becoming more fragile and damaged.
Cocaine can cause several types of damage to the nose. This damage can include side effects or even conditions ranging from mild to severe. Some nose side effects of cocaine include things like a loss of sense of smell, nose bleeds, and sinus infections. Stopping cocaine use and receiving the proper treatments can often lead to a successful recovery. Here are some of the conditions someone might experience if they use cocaine regularly.
When you regularly use cocaine, it can cause regular nose bleeds. These nosebleeds are often associated with other symptoms, such as frequent sniffing, diminished sense of smell, and nasal membrane irritation. Cocaine can make the nose membranes more fragile, and if you use foreign objects to snort cocaine, it can cause the lining of the nose to tear and bleed.
Alongside nose bleeds, cocaine use can lead to sores and scabs because of the decreased circulation to the lining of the nose, which makes the lining more easily damaged. This damage then leads to sores and scabs because they aren’t able to heal as quickly as they would if cocaine wasn’t decreasing the blood flow. Over time, these scabs may increase in size with repeated damage and irritation.
Cocaine can also cause a hole in the nasal septum, the part of your nose that divides the nose into two cavities. If you have a cocaine nasal perforation, you might have the following symptoms:
Often, nasal perforation occurs due to cocaine decreasing the blood supply to the nasal septum, which weakens this area of the nose, making it susceptible to the creation of holes. These holes alter nasal airflow, creating dry or cracked lips and nose bleeds. Often, a combination of medical management and the stopping of cocaine use can treat nasal perforations. A formal surgery repair by replacing the nasal septum may sometimes be necessary to treat nasal perforation if the damage is more than the body can repair on its own.
Cocaine use can also cause damage to the nasal septum where the nasal septum is crooked or off-center. Typically, it comes from injury to the nose that is often noticeable and makes breathing more difficult. Other symptoms you might experience with a deviated septum include nosebleeds, sinus infections, and mouth-breathing during sleep. Surgery is often needed to correct a deviated septum.
Saddle nose is another type of visible damage that can occur to the nose after long-term cocaine use. This damage refers to the middle part of your nose collapsing and losing height. It takes on a saddle-like appearance. By snorting cocaine, it can cause damage to your nasal structures, which can result in the collapsing of your nose. A nose job or dermal fillers is the only way to fix a saddle nose. Other signs and symptoms of saddle nose include:
The hard palate is between the nasal cavity and the roof of your mouth, creating a barrier separating the oral cavity from the nasal and sinus cavities, allowing you to speak, breathe, and chew properly. However, using cocaine for an extended period can result in erosion of this barrier, allowing a hole to form. Symptoms may include headaches, facial swelling and pain, and trouble breathing or speaking.
Sinus infections are also common when it comes to cocaine use because cocaine can damage the protective features of your nose. Cocaine can also suppress your immune system. These factors combined make it easier for infections to occur from bacteria, but it can also make it harder for your body to fight the infections.
One of the long-term effects of cocaine on the nose is anosmia or loss of smell. Cocaine destroys the nose’s lining, damaging your nose's odor receptors. Depending on how much damage emerges, you may not be able to get your sense of smell back.
Long-term cocaine use can also result in nasal necrosis. Necrosis is the death of cells, in this case, the death of cells in the nose. Symptoms associated with necrosis include the destruction of the nasal walls, reduction of smell, and ulcers.
Ultimately, stopping cocaine use can prevent further damage from occurring, and in some cases, it can improve some types of mild damage. However, depending on the amount and type of damage caused by cocaine use will depend on the best way to treat the damage. Many types of visible damage may need surgery to repair, like hard palate damage and saddle nose.
For people with a cocaine use disorder, choosing to quit, even for the well-being of your nasal passage, may seem like a daunting task. It can feel like being entangled in an enduring cycle that does not seem to have an apparent way out. However, facing recovery alone is unnecessary. By choosing to undergo cocaine rehab, you will receive access to support and skills that will establish the foundations of your recovery.
With several locations throughout Oregon, Serenity Lane is here to help whenever needed. We offer a full continuum of care from detox to outpatient care, allowing you to continue enhancing your recovery. If you have any questions or wish to get started on treatment today, call us at 800-543-9905.
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