Boils—also called as skin abscesses is very painful, especially when located inside an isolated body parts with limited air and access, such as the nostrils. Apart from being painful, boils inside the nose can lead to infection because it is often be exposed to bacteria inside the nostrils. To properly treat this skin abscess occurring inside the nose, you can do it at home after first knowing what may cause the problem and what things work for relieving the pain.

Causes of boils inside the nose

Similar to boils occurring all over the body, boils occurring in nostrils may be caused by extra oil produced by the sebaceous glands beneath the skin which block skin pores. To be more specific, boils inside the nose or at the nostril openings is caused by Staphylococcus bacteria residing at the body part. When you pick the nose too frequently, the finger contact with this bacteria might cause redness, swelling, and a collection of white bumps near the nostril openings. Untreated nasal boils can lead to nasal cellulitis, an infection which causes redness and inflammation of the surrounding tissues and veins.

How to treat boils inside the nose

Boils inside the nose—the nasal folliculitis can be treated at home with proper knowledge about the cause and its corresponding remedies. Some minor boils can even heal without any specific treatments. To treat boils inside the nose, you might want to consider some of these things:

1. Apply warm compress onto the affected nostril. This is a natural method to speed up drainage and thus, decrease of the boil. Place the compress over the nose or if possible, directly onto the boil.
2. If the boil bursts, do following actions:
   • Put a paper tissue over the boil to absorb leaking puss or blood.
   • Clean the wound with damp cloth or towel by dabbing it. Avoid rubbing the wound, since it may cause infection.
   • Apply an antibiotic ointment which is enriched with zinc onto the busted boil.
3. The open boil is going to dry out. Do not pick any formed scab, as it may slow down healing process and restart the cycle.
4. Avoid picking your nose during the healing period, as your finger can possibly transmit harmful bacteria onto the boil, causing infection.
5. The drainage is contagious and may be the source of boil contamination among family members. Hence, always wipe it off whenever the boil leaks. Avoid touching the boil and keep it closed with bandage whenever possible.
6. To speed up healing process, apply warm compress as frequent as possible after the boil starts draining. When washing your face with tea-tree oil-based face wash, clean also the area with boils to speed up drying process.
7. If boils is a recurring problem for you, use an antibiotic ointment intended for nasal application to prevent it from recurring.

When to see a doctor

Certain conditions related to nasal boils might require professional assistance. Hence, see the doctor when you come to these situations:

1. A boil affect the veins, which is signed by excruciating pains which always reoccur.
2. A boils is accompanied by fever.
3. A boil keeps coming back, despite all your attempts to avoid it.
4. A nasal boil which block your air passageways.

Preventing nasal boils

To prevent nasal boil occurrence, you need to make sure proper hygiene in the area of the nostrils. Rinse and wipe these nostrils with clean bath sponge or cloth to avoid bacteria from residing there. Frequently picking your nose with dirty hands also heighten the chance of catching nasal folliculitis. Therefore, avoid this activity as hard as possible. If you need to pick some debris inside the nostrils, always wash the hands prior to doing it.

Moreover, avoid blowing your nose too hard, as this might also effect the nasal lining. Give the nose warm compress when you have the flu, in order to avoid its lining from getting to dry. Dry nose lining will tempt you to pick it, which may cause bacteria infiltration. When taking care of the boil, use cotton swab to apply the ointment and other medications, so that the drainage will not be passed through the finger.