Rhinoplasty is effective when it comes to treating nasal bone malformations and airway obstructions that may occur as a result of an accident. However, before a person can enjoy the fruits of having a defect-free nose, he or she needs to have a smooth recovery. How well a person recovers from the procedure usually determines not only the healing period, but also the pain that he or she is likely to experience. The following tips will come in handy in helping to ensure that you have a smooth recovery after having this procedure.

Keep your head elevated

Keeping your head elevated will help to reduce the swelling that is common after a rhinoplasty. Doing this for a couple of days will help to reduce the amount of blood that flows around your healing nose, and will therefore reduce the rate of tissue swelling.

When sleeping, use a recliner to keep your head up. You can also use elevated pillows to have the same effect. And while this may take a little bit of effort on your part, it is worth it as it will guarantee a better after-surgery look.

Use bags of frozen peas

Bags of frozen peas can come in handy when it comes to reducing irritation on a healing nose. Gently placing a bag of frozen peas on your nose will reduce the blood flow to the healing tissues and will therefore help to reduce the amount of tissue swelling around the area.

Clean your nose

After surgery, there is usually a high risk of developing an infection. Taking steps to clean the healing area will help to reduce the risks of an infection and will therefore shorten the recovery time.

Make sure that you change your drip pads regularly, and once the oozing or bleeding stops and you no longer need it, get rid of it. Use q-tips that are soaked in hydrogen peroxide to clean your nose. To be on the safe side, use a gentle swirling motion taking care not to compromise the integrity of the stitches. And after cleaning, always remember to apply an antibiotic ointment to keep the area infection free and to also prevent the clotting of blood.

Open your mouth

Every time you have to sneeze, open your mouth. This will help to reduce the "sneeze-pressure" in the nasal cavity and will therefore help to reduce the chances of popping your stitches. And since nose blowing, coughing and sneezing can cause your nose to swell, try to avoid conditions that can trigger these activities. This includes using a humidifier to reduce the dryness of your room and keeping away from cigarette smoking while still recovering from the surgery.