Find important information on scabs in nose including those that will not heal as well as what could be their cause, and much more
Most people will think booger when they hear nose scabs. And they would not be entirely wrong because boogers are essentially scabs that form on the inside of the nose. The ones you can get rid of easily are essentially dried mucus, with some dust and maybe the hair. These kind are pretty common; in fact most of us have had them phase when we were children, even if we will not readily admit it.
There are those however that will be a little more troublesome, failing to heal and recurring if you attempt to remove them. It is these that we will be addressing in this article. Read on to know what cause the stubborn ones in your nose or nostrils.
Bloody scab in nose picture
To see how stubborn ones can be, see the below picture of blood one.
Causes – why they appear
They are usually dried mucus, hair, flakes of skin and trapped dirt particles. They are mostly white and yellow. Sometimes though these scabs may be red if there was any bleeding. One can have scabbing in one nostril or both of them. Some people may not feel any pain but there cases where they get painful. Even when they are not painful scabs in the nose can cause discomfort, especially if they are large and one cannot help but be aware of them. There are several causes.
1. Inflammation
The skin inside the nostrils could get inflamed. This inflammation could cause scabbing especially as it heals. Many cases are because of inflammation are caused by allergies. One could be reacting to the exposure to certain irritants. The sneezing and blowing of the nose may break the lining inside it causing wounds over which scabs will eventually form.
Hay fever also falls under this category of causes.
2. Trauma
Trauma, in this case, means any hard, repeated, pulling, rubbing, blowing, scratching or hitting the nose. All this can bring about nasal scabs.
A good example of trauma to the nose causing the picking habit. The constant scratching can break the delicate skin inside it, causing scabs to form.
Chronic nose picking can be very damaging to the inside its lining as it sets off a vicious cycle. You pick at it leaves wound exposed, wound forms, and you pick at scab again and it goes on and on.
They also form inside the nostril around a nose piercing. If it is just a few light brownish scabs on a relatively fresh piercing, this is no reason to worry. Those could be formed by the drying of the clear liquid that drains from a fresh non-infected piercing.
3. Dryness
Extreme dryness mainly due to weather conditions causes the skin inside the nose to break and form wounds. These wounds may later form scabs as they heal. These are more common if the weather is cold and dry at the same time, like in winter. A nose-picking habit will only make things worse.
There could be other reasons why your nasal passages are dry and crusty, like prolonged use of nasal sprays, and general dehydration.
4. Infection
Certain infections that leave wounds or sores inside the nose can cause them in and around it.
Impetigo is one common one known to cause scabby nostrils. It is, however, more common in children.
Staphylococcal bacterial infection or staph in short also results in them eventually, as the furuncle or boil heals.
Cold sores inside the nose a symptom of a viral infection can burst and form a scab. Here, they will appear before or after a cold.
Your nose scab could also be a symptom of herpes infection. Herpes which is an STD forms sores on the mouth and nasal area. These sores, from the sexually transmitted disease, could progress to this problem which in some instances ooze.
An infected nose piercing could also cause scabby bits when the infected liquid from them drains and dries up.
5. Rhinitis
Drying crusts in the nose that you just cannot get rid of is a known symptom of rhinitis. Those formed by rhinitis tend to have a bad smell.
6. Sinusitis
When sinuses get swollen, fluid may collect between them, trapping dust and other bits which then form scabs. That is how people with sinusitis may end up with crusty ones.
7. Sunburn
This is more a cause of scabs on the nose than inside. Sometimes though the scabbing from exposure to the sun without sunscreen may form closer to the entrance to the nostrils.
8. Drugs
Drugs, specifically those you have to sniff up the nose are known to cause frequent nose bleeds, sores and scabs.
Some prescription drugs used to treat certain conditions may also cause skin flaking on the lips and scabs in the nostrils.
9. Surgery
They can form in the nose if you are recovering from nasal surgery. Many people have to deal with scabbing after septoplasty which is surgery to repair a deviated septum.
Nose bleeding can also cause bloody ones especially if you keep on disturbing and picking them.
How to treat or how to get rid of scabs in nose
You need to look at the whole picture when looking for a way to get rid of scabs inside your nose. One of the things you can do is stop smoking since smoking can also irritate the nose and cause them.
You should also not interfere with a dry nose by picking it however tight or itchy it feels. It is also better for healing if you fight the temptation to remove the scab on any sore or sores.
Here a few remedies you can try.
1. Vaseline
Instead of pulling picking or pooling at them, you could apply a little Vaseline on them to soften them as they heal and ease them off gently. The main benefit of doing this is to break that cycle of picking at the scab and leaving a still fresh sore beneath. Vaseline also aids with dry crusty nose scabs from lupus, low humidity, and dryness.
2. Use a humidifier
Running a humidifier at night will help keep your nose from getting so dry and cracking.
3. Salt solution
Some people swear that a salt and warm water solution will help remove scabs and build up from your nose in a couple of minutes.
Apparently, all you need to do is stir a tablespoon of table salt in warm water till it dissolves, then snort this solution and try hold it for a few seconds by tilting your head up a little. You should then bend over a bowl or sink for the solution and gunk that had made a home in your nose to flow out.
Scabs inside nose that won’t heal
Some nasal scabs will not go away or will keep coming back after a few weeks or months.
Persistent ones are caused by a staphylococcal infection, chronic picking and in some cases cancer. Large scabs in the nose that tend to be smelly and don’t heal could be rhinitis.
It is recommended to see a doctor who may be able to give you a proper diagnosis though based on your symptoms.
Medical solutions range from surgery to topical antibiotic creams. Saline sprays and antiseptic creams fall somewhere in between. It is important that a doctor recommends the correct treatment as well as dosage.