Scabs may occur on any part of our body. Getting scabs in the nose inside your nose is extremely common and nothing to be concerned about. Dried and hardened mucus may feel like scabs inside the nose. But, there are other types of scabs and sores within your nose, which might develop from dried blood.
Inside of our nose has delicate tissues that can be damaged easily by illnesses and physical damages. After damage, they may become inflamed. With so many nerve endings and blood vessels in the region, painful scabs with bleeding are pretty standard.
Fortunately, having scabs in the nose is harmless and might heal within a few days with some care. Once you know the cause of scabs, learning how to care for scabs in the nose is the key to early treatment and preventing further issues.
Here’s all you need to know about scabs in the nose, including causes, symptoms, treatment, and a few prevention tips.
What are the causes of scabs in the nose?
Several different conditions may lead to getting scabs in the nose, including:
1. Trauma
Any trauma to your nasal passages or nose might damage the sensitive skin inside the nose, resulting in scabs and bleeding. Trauma may include several things like hitting, scratching, or rubbing the nose.
Even the constant habit of picking the nose might lead to scabs. If this occurs, leave the scab untouched. If you pull the scab off, it may cause further scabs to emerge.
2. Inflamamtion from allergies
Swelling inside the nasal passages may also cause scabbing, and allergies are undoubtedly the most frequent cause of swelling within your nasal passage. Additional symptoms of allergies involve having watery eyes, postnatal drip, and itchy skin.
3. HIV
HIV infections may also lead to sinusitis and rhinitis in people affected, further leading to scabbing inside the nose.
HIV can lead to painful nasal sores that might bleed and scab. Such lesions usually take more time to heal and are highly painful than any of the other causes mentioned in this list.
Further symptoms you might encounter with nose scabs associated with HIV include stuffy nose, toothaches, headaches that are more distressed and painful at night, regular postnasal drip, and tension behind your eyes.
4. Environmental dryness
Environmental dryness regularly comes from a shift in climate (particularly during the winter months) and may cause cracks in your skin inside the nose that may lead to small bleeds, which then convert to scabs.
If environmental dryness is the reason to blame fr scabs in the nose, you will most probably see that the remaining of your skin — including the lips —will be dryer and chapped than usual.
5. Herpes
The herpes simplex virus may lead to cold sores on your lips and within the nasal passage, which may convert over into scabs when they start healing. Such cold sores are usually painful and might require anaesthetic creams to recover.
Additional symptoms of herpes flare-ups involve slight swelling, tingling of the skin, and fluid-filled sores that crust over into the scab after approximately 8 to 10 days.
6. Sinusitis
Sinusitis is the swelling or inflammation of the sinuses. It may cause scabbing and bleeding inside the nasal passages as a result of irritation. The rash might also lead fluid to become trapped inside the nasal passages, accompanied by other detritus like dust. Such trappings may harden to produce scabs. That may happen in both short-term and long-term sinusitis.
Sinusitis may be caused by some respiratory infections, allergies, and even a deviated septum,
7. Drugs
Most of you may not have imagined this cause, but inhaling drugs into your nasal passages can also cause severe irritation and injury to the nasal passages. That may cause scabs in the nose and bleeding.
Drugs may tear the septum within the nose leading to severe complications, including tissue death or necrosis ad holes inside the nose.
8. Elongated use of nasal sprays
Long-term usage of nasal sprays may also lead to extreme dryness within your nasal passages, possibly leading to cracking and then scabbing within the nose. To counter this, you should use a saline solution and nasal spray to maintain your nasal passages moistly.
9. Nasal cancer
Rigid and crusty bumps within the nasal passage that remain persistent and do not respond to any treatment might mean nasal cancer. Other cancer signs are sinus pressure, facial tingling, nosebleeds, runny nose, facial tingling, and ear discomfort or anxiety.
10. Pimples or boils
The interior of your nose carries hair follicles that may get infected with bacteria. Thus, a pus-filled boil or pimple might develop. Abscesses and boils may cause pain and soreness. If they are pricked or popped, scabbing and bleeding are most likely to occur as a result.
11. Irritants
Several chemicals may irritate your nose, leading to scabbing and inflammation. Prevalent irritants include:
- Cigars
- Cigarette smoke
- industrial chemicals
- fumes from cleaning products
Diagnosis for scabs in the nose
If you get painful sores or scabs inside the nose that are not healing after a week or two, notwithstanding home treatments, get an appointment to visit your doctor for a diagnosis.
At your doctor’s appointment, they will ask you regarding other indications or associated underlying conditions you face. They will also examine the nasal area, likely with the help of light to examine the nasal passages.
If the doctor speculates an infection, they will require blood work to examine any condition in your blood. They will also arrange blood work if they suspect viruses such as herpes or HIV as the root cause of the scabs or sores inside the nose.
If the doctor speculates a chronic predicament, like sinusitis, they might mention you to an ENT, a specialist in Ear, Nose, and Throat. If the scabs inside your nose are of nasal cancer, the ENT will demand a biopsy of those scabs.
Treatments for scabs in the nose
Treatments for scabs in the nose are entirely based on the cause of it. Well-known treatments for scabs in the nose are:
- topical anesthetic and antibacterial creams and ointments, which will promote healing, check infection, and give pain relief
- antivirals for a few causes of scabs like HIV and Herpesvirus
- regular allergy medications.
- Oral antimicrobials for sinus infections.
Home remedies for scabs in the nose
Home remedies are noted to be incredibly effective for scabs inside your nose. A few home remedies you may try include:
- You can put petroleum jelly or nasal saline spray onto the nose to keep the nasal passages from completely drying out.
- applying creams such as pain-free Neosporin to combat infection and lessen any pain
- Not touching the scabs and not picking at the scabs
- Not using drugs or inhalers for a long time.
- You can disperse essential oils of peppermint and eucalyptus to reduce nasal congestion.
- Use a cleaning pot to clear your nose of allergens and mucus.
- Employ a warm, wet cloth over the nose a few times a day.
- Use the saline spray as required to improve pain and promote the scab to heal faster.
- You can drink non-caffeinated liquids and plenty of water to assist the body in naturally flushing out the mucus out of your nose.
Prevention of scabs in the nose
There are a few steps you may take to help limit scabs in the nose, these include:
- Use allergy medicines as prescribed by your doctor.
- You should blow your nose tenderly and only when needed. If no mucus comes out after blowing the nose, a person must not apply too much force or blow the nose harder. Instead, they can moisten the nose or nasal passages using a saline spray.
- Evading from inhaling drugs, which involves illegal drugs.
- Ask the doctor before practising a decongestant nasal spray comprising of oxymetazoline. If approved, it must not be taken into use more than two times a day or for longer than the maximum of 3 days.
- Use a humidifier.
- Keep a drug-free saline spray with you to keep the interior of your nose moist. A person must look for jets that include only “sodium chloride” as the main active component.
- Not inserting fingers or other stuff into the nose.
- Applying petroleum jelly within the nose also helps lock moisture in, blocking the nasal tissues from bleeding or drying out.
- Evade from picking at the scabs or bumps within your nose.
- Avoid smoking and going to places where someone else is smoking.
- Avoid using strong chemical smells coming from harsh cleaning produce whenever reasonable.
- Wear a face mask that should cover your nose when handling the chemicals.
- Take medicines to block cold sores.
When to see a doctor?
Even though scabs in the nose usually result from insignificant, harmless ailments, such as annual allergies, a health expert must examine ongoing scabs or bleed within the nose.
Usually, an allergist, a family doctor, or an ear, nose, and throat doctor will examine the interior of your nose using light and suggest further examination or treatment if required.
Doctors might need blood tests if herpes or bacterial contamination is suspected. In a few cases, scabs resulting from allergies or trauma can be diagnosed using a visual exam. Usually, the reason for scabs in the nose is treatable using a few home remedies and time.
The Bottom Line
While challenging, the most helpful thing you can do is to allow the scab to heal. Constantly picking at the scab may cause heavier bleeding, which might cause more scabbing as a result. Most reported cases of scabs inside the nose would settle quickly. Many signs of scabs respond pretty well to treatment.
Do not panic if you sense scabs in the nose, as there is nothing to be concerned about. Scabs usually heal soon on their own without treatment.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3846244/
- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/nasal-cavity-and-paranasal-sinus-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms.html
- https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/full/10.1148/rg.281075049
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_vestibulitis
