Nose Sores
Nose Sores Begone - Avoiding Unwanted Conditions
It is very difficult to know exactly what specific nose sores are, how to treat them or whether even to treat them at all. There are many different reasons why one would have a sore in their nostrils - it could be several things: an injury or a wound from some foreign object, a reaction to chemical fumes or some kind of allergy, possibly even several bacterial infections such as nasal impetigo, or an infection of the nasal hair follicles, very rarely, even cold sores, which usually develop around the lips, but sometimes in the nostrils as well.
Foreign Objects in Nostrils
Many people have the habit of touching their nose a lot. Some people even reach into their nostrils with their fingers, but this can lead to a number of problems. Nose sores can develop as a result of a lesion caused by the fingernails scratching on the inside of the nostril. This is unpleasant and may take a long time to heal, because of the sensitive nature of the inside nostrils. Some patients are even forced to get sores in the nose such as these cauterized - a sometimes painful and costly procedure.
Infections
Other problems with touching the nose are that the fingertips harbor a bacteria called Staphylococcus, which may become loose in the nostrils, causing sores. It's very difficult to treat Staphylococcal infection, so the safest thing to do is to never reach around the nostrils, or always use a tissue or water in the shower. Staphylococcus is resistant to many antibiotics and is difficult to get rid of without using a varied scheme of aggressive medication.
The nasal hair follicles (the buds where the hair grows out from) can often become infected as well. This is also caused by the Staphylococcus bacteria, but this type of infection can be treated more effectively.
Cold sores (herpes simplex) often develop around the mouth and chin of sufferers and sometimes even grow upwards towards the nose and into the nostrils. Nose sores can be caused by this infection and can be very itchy and even painful. They are best treated with commonly available medication.
Exposure to Chemicals or Particles
It is also possible to get nose sores from exposure to certain chemicals (such as if one is a painter or works in a factory). Chemicals can cause acidic type burns on the sensitive skin of the inner nostril and cause allergies and pain that need to be medicated. Other causes of nose sores can be particles from insulating material, mold spores, irritating spices (pepper) and sometimes even very dangerous blue asbestos. Always be aware of the surroundings and know of any allergies and have them treated. Mold spores and some insulating materials can be particularly dangerous and even deadly and lead to very serious respiratory conditions.
Climate and Weather
In the winter when it can be very cold outside people are mostly heating very strongly. This can have the adverse effect of a living space being very dry, but there are ways to rectify this situation. The most common and effective seems to be to put a saucer or small bowl of water onto each radiator. The water will slowly evaporate into the air this way and needs to be replaced every few days, but a house or apartment will be less dry and a bit more moist, which prevents drying on the inside of the nose possibly causing sores.
Good Habits
It is good to get into the habit of regularly flushing the nostrils and oral cavities with an easily obtained kit from a pharmacist. This simply consists of a small canister with a pump and packets of what is essentially salt. Rinsing oral cavities regularly with this salty mixture can clean out harmful bacteria and also assists with breathing problems such as snoring and sniffling.