Facial injuries are common in sports. They occur throughout the year but tend to peak when certain sports - such as football and cheerleading - are in the height of their seasons.

While facial trauma is most common in baseball for men, football is the leading cause of men’s sports injuries in general, said Dr. Karl Studtmann, an ear, nose and throat specialist with the West Tennessee ENT Clinic. Cheerleading and gymnastics are far and away the most common source of injury for women.

“They aren’t wearing protective gear, and they’re tumbling over hard surfaces,” Dr. Studtmann said. “They need to be cautious when they’re tumbling and when they’re stunting.”

The equipment worn in football does a good job in protecting players - especially their faces. But Studtmann said he sees several avoidable injuries this time of year suffered outside of Friday night games when players run through plays without a helmet. “Wear the equipment in practice,” Dr. Studtmann said.

Regardless of the season, a nasal injury is the most common trauma for athletes across all sports. If a player suffers a nosebleed, coaches need to assess the severity of the injury. In some cases, the player can continue to play, but the nose could also be broken and require surgery.

For nosebleeds, the player or trainer should pinch the soft skin around the nostrils for one minute to stop the bleeding. If it bleeds again, pinch it for 10 minutes. If it’s still bleeding, the player needs to be seen by a doctor right away. If the nose is broken but doesn’t require a trip to the emergency room, it needs to be treated by a physician within three days of the injury.

An X-ray or CT scan is sometimes necessary to determine the extent of the injury. Noses don’t always need to be fixed unless there is a cosmetic deformity or if the patient has difficulty breathing.

If surgery is required, it is usually a quick recovery and athletes can often return to play the next day. However, they need to wear an external nasal splint for the first week, and it takes six to eight weeks for the bone to completely heal.

“If you wait six to eight weeks, it will be just as strong as it ever was.”

Beyond a broken nose or nosebleed, other facial traumas include lacerations, dental injuries and a perforated eardrum, which can cause dizziness and hearing loss. Perforated eardrums often heal by themselves, but there is a risk of infection, and the injury could require surgery.

Other, more serious injuries, include jaw fractures and broken eye sockets. These injuries could also require surgery, and athletes should avoid sports until their face has healed.

During the course of his career, Dr. Studtmann said he has seen sports-related facial injuries increase. It could be that more kids are playing sports and more sports are available to kids.

But some sports, such as baseball, basketball and soccer, are played throughout the year as the community’s best athletes travel to face the best athletes from other communities, he said. These elite sports leagues also play a hand in the rise in injuries.

“I think it’s a matter of intensity of exposure, and kids are playing at a higher level for their age because of the way the teams are formed.”

Featured Doctor

Karl Studtmann, M.D. Otolaryngology

An honors medical graduate of the University of Tennessee in Memphis, Dr. Karl Studtmann completed his internship in surgery and residency in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. He has done research in his medical specialty and has had many articles published in medical journals.