According to information from the Harvard Medical Schools, a deviated septum is a nasal septum (the wall between the left and right sides of the nose) that is dramatically off-center.
The nasal septum is firm, but bendable, and it is covered by skin that has a rich supply of blood vessels. Ideally, the nasal septum should lie exactly in the center, so that the left and right sides of the nose are of equal size. In about 80% of us, however, the nasal septum is a little off-center, although most of us never notice.
In people who have a deviated septum, one side of the nose is wider than normal and one is narrower. This alters the pattern of airflow in the nose and sometimes blocks the narrowed side.
Some people are born with a deviated septum. More often, however, a deviated septum is caused by injury to the nose during birth.
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