It is always frustrating when feeling discomfort about some things we are unable to see. Soreness occurring inside the nose is one of the annoying problem. While you cannot see what happens inside the nose with your naked eyes, the soreness and pain is sometimes sharp and spreading. In some cases, soreness inside the nose merely gives you on-an-off discomfort, while in some others, this might cause other symptoms all over the other body parts, such as migraine, nausea, and bleeding.

What causes sore inside nose?

Soreness inside nose may be caused by things as simple as picking the nose too frequently, causing irritation to the inner lining of the nose. However, it may also be a symptom of more serious illnesses, such as nasal cancer. Among various causes of nose soreness, here are the most familiar ones:

1. Bacteria

Human skin is in fact a harbor for certain kinds of bacteria—Staphylococcus, for instance. These bacteria do not cause any harms to the nose when left undisturbed. When you pick the nose constantly, however, you might cause some scratch, cuts, or breakage to the mucus lining and nose hair follicles, not to mention transferring the Staph from your finger to the nose. These bacteria can possibly enter these cuts, causing boils and ulcers whenever your immune system is disrupted.

2. Allergy

Many allergens, including fragrances, dust, pollens, and chemicals might trigger excessive responses from the nose. These allergens may cause runny nose, or soreness from sneezing too often.

3. Herpes virus

Herpes virus usually causes cold sore around the mouth. When the breakout is severe, the nose will also be affected, causing in swelling and scabies, which results in bleeding when picked. This conditions are the symptoms of nasal herpes.

4. Nasal polyps

Nasal polyps is usually experiences by people with the symptoms of sinusitis. Polyps may block the air passing through the nostrils, causing pains and severe discomfort.

Healing sore inside nose

Since there are various causes of soreness in nose, it is important to determine the definite cause before determining the treatment to perform. Some pains in the nose may go away without any treatments, while some others may need more serious observation and solution. Here are some methods to use in healing sore inside the nose.

1. If nose soreness is caused by inflammation—swelling, itching, and sharp pains are some symptoms, applying cold compresses is the most effective treatment. To do this, soak a cloth into a mixture of cold water and ice cubes for 3 minutes, squeeze it, and put it on the affected area. You can also cover an ice cube with a handkerchief or thin towel and apply it directly on swollen nose. Cold compress calms the infected skin and thus, reduces the caused pain.

2. If nose soreness is caused by herpes virus and thus, resulted in ulcers, cold sores, or scab around the nostrils, topical antibiotic ointment is helpful. Apply the ointment based on the instructions and do not pick any scabs or scratch the affected areas. Wash the hands before and after applying the remedy to prevent the virus from moving across your other body parts.

3. If nasal soreness occurs because of allergens, such as pollens and dusts, make sure you wash the entire face first, and give the affected area a warm compress to reduce the itching and soreness.

4. If nasal soreness is triggered by sinusitis or polyp, a thorough medical check might be required, and antibiotics are commonly used for minimizing the caused pain.

Home remedies to treat sore in the nose

There are other home remedies which can be used for treating cold sore and boils in the nose, which occurs because of various risk factors. These treatments are natural and thus, trigger very little side effects when performed properly. Home remedies are also more affordable and simple. Here are some of those which may work in minimizing soreness occurring in the nose.

1. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is full of antioxidants which may improve your immune system. This vitamin is also an anti-inflammation, which eliminates the sense of severe pains on various parts of body, including the nose. You can either take vitamin C in the form of food supplements, fresh fruit juices, or organic fruits which are rich of vitamin C, such as lemon, lime, or oranges.

2. A&D Ointment

This ointment is a topical remedy which is rich in vitamin A and D, and helpful in fighting bacterial infection. A&D ointment is safe to use for soreness inside the nose by dabbing a small amount using the tip of a cotton bud.

3. Nasal rinse

Nasal rinse, which you can make yourself at home is also an effective remedy which works as an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory agent. This solution is safe for soreness, boils, ulcer, and even itchy nose caused by allergies. To make the solution, you will need:

• A cup of warm water
• A teaspoon salt
• A dropper

Dilute salt in warm water and stir well. With a dropper, suck a small amount of the solution and drop it into the nasal opening. Elevate your head so that the solution can pass through one opening. Once it passes the opening, squirt the solution through another nose opening.

This saline rinse is beneficial for clearing nasal passageways as well as killing bacteria infesting in unnoticed nasal boils and hair follicle breakage.

4. Drink sufficiently

Nasal soreness is often caused by allergies, which gives flu-like symptoms. However, it can also be caused by over dried nasal lining. To minimize the occurring pain, you need to keep the nasal lining hydrated, and one of the most effective ways is drinking sufficient amount of water. However, other fluids, such as chicken broth and ginger tea are also beneficial in minimizing over dried nose lining and thus, preventing scabs.

5. Petroleum jelly

Known also as Vaseline, petroleum jelly is a useful wax-like substance for hydrating dry skin. This is a good home remedy when you are having soreness inside the nose or around the nostrils which are caused by infection, boils, ulcers, or herpes. Dab a small amount of Vaseline onto the affected part of the nose to keep its tissues moist and hence, promote faster healing.

Preventing soreness in the nose

Soreness in body areas with limited access such as the nose might be a dilemmatic issue. Hence, preventing this from happening at all is wise. There are various preventive methods you can perform in order to avoid soreness occurring as the result of various risk factors.

1. Do not pick the nose too frequently, as this might transfer harmful bacteria from your skin to the nose lining, which may end up in nasal boils, ulcer, and infection.
2. Keep your nasal passage hydrated by drinking sufficient amount of water every day.
3. Avoid using nasal sprays, especially if you are prone to allergies, as the contained substances in nasal sprays can possibly trigger allergies.
4. Limit consuming foods which contain high cholesterol level, as this may cause sore throat, which may end up in nasal sore.
5. Treat cold sore and blisters occurring around the mouth and other parts of the body to prevent the virus from moving into the nose area.
6. Always wash your hands before applying any topical medicines to a sore nose. Dirty fingers will not only transfer harmful bacteria, but also worsen existing nasal infection.
7. Avoid picking scabs which are formed in nose lining. This might cause bleeding and make the healing process a lot slower. Instead, apply petroleum jelly to the scab in order to make it smoother and moist, so that you will not tempted to scratch nor pick it.
8. Consume nutritious diets which will strengthen your immune system and prevent you from catching harmful virus, such as the herpes simplex virus.
9. Apply coconut oil to any formed blisters or cold sore around the mouth to boost healing. This will minimize the possibility of developed herpes, from the cold sore to the nasal herpes.
10. For a sharp pain occurring inside the nose, take prescribed antibiotics.
11. Avoid wiping the nose lining with dry tissues to prevent over drying. If you have the flu, squirt the mucus and gently clean the nostrils using damp tissues. Frequent wiping using dry tissues will cause the nose passage to dry out and may result in scabs and soreness.