Having scab like boogers in nose can be a painful issue. A scab is a protective tissue covering that forms after your skin has been damaged. Let’s be honest, we all have picked at our nose once or twice. Depending on how you pick your nose and how often you do it, you could be hurting yourself – in some cases, doing significant damage. Frequent blowing or picking at nasal membranes can cause damage and create scab like boogers in nose. Our body makes boogers to protect us from viruses and irritating particles in our environment that we breathe in every day and to protect us from more damage.
The inside of the nose contains delicate tissue that physical injuries or illnesses can easily damage and inflame. Our bodies make mucus, a goo-like substance that is mainly water, to trap tiny particles of diseases and environmental irritants to keep them from traveling down to our lungs. When particles get stuck inside the nose, the mucus surrounds it and the tiny hairs inside the nose help move the mucus and the trapped When the mucus, dirt, and other debris get dry and clump together, you’re left with a booger.
When nose-picking or harsh blowing becomes habitual, that’s when the problem can begin. It doesn’t take much of an effort to scratch to the sensitive lining of your nose to make a cut or cause bleeding. With just small amount of trauma you can scrape that lining and cause scabbing that then may allow bacteria from the nasal skin to build up. When you get a scab like boogers in nose, it’s tempting to pick it, creating a cycle of introducing more bacteria into your nose and causing more trauma on the sensitive lining of your nose.
Every time you pick scab like boogers in nose off, you pull away a little bit of the lining of the nose. Restarting the cycle and causing more trauma — and more scabs. Fortunately, if left alone, scab like boogers in nose are usually harmless and heal on their own with a little care. Knowing the cause of the scabs in the nose, how to prevent them, and how to care for them is key to helping the nose heal and to preventing future problems.
How to Heal and Prevent Scab Like Boogers In Nose
1. Moisturize
Many habitual nose-pickers do it because their noses are too dry causing the scab like boogers in nose. Use your fingers to apply a very small dab of petroleum jelly or a natural oil to the lining inside of your nose. Not only is it good for keeping your nose moisturized, it’s also safely handled by your stomach in small amounts.
2. Invest in a Humidifier
Humidifiers can help alleviate the symptoms dry nasal passages and nose bleeding due to dry air or allergies. Inflammation in the nasal passages can cause scabbing, and allergies are easily the most common cause of inflammation within the nasal passage. This can help reduce the frequency of nose blowing and picking, provide time for your scab like boogers in nose to heal.
3. Neti Pot
Nasal scab is generally the mucus that dried up causing sores inside the nasal cavity. When the mucous membranes in your nose and sinuses dry out, it can lead to thickened secretions, congestion, and even sinus infections. Using a Neti pot to clear the nose of mucus and allergens. Neti pots are small, teapot-like devices that people use as a saline nasal irrigation (SNI) treatment to rinse out the sinuses.
4. Moist Wipes
Using a soft moist wipe or soft cloth soaked in warm salted water applied to scab like boogers in nose may help with the initial feeling of tightness and dryness to the area promoting healing. Using a damp wipe to clear up your dry nose is an easy and effective way to remedy your nasal congestion.
5. Be Gentle
Blowing the nose is often necessary and helpful. However, blowing too hard can do more harm than good. Reducing frequent blowing or picking at nasal membrane is the most effective way to prevent and heal scab like boogers in nose. Repeated forceful blowing can rip the scab off, leading to more bleeding and repeated scabbing. Picking the scab off can cause another scab to develop. Rhinotillexomania is the medical term for chronic nose-picking. In chronic or compulsive nose-picking, scab formation may prompt the person to blow out or pick the scab, causing more bleeding, scabbing, and an ongoing cycle that does not allow the nose to heal.
Other Factors to Consider About Scab Like Boogers In Nose
Avoid overusing nasal sprays
Although nasal sprays can help the nose feel better, using these sprays too often can lead to dryness, irritation, and increased congestion in the nose increasing the risk of developing scab like boogers in nose.
Drug use
Inhaling drugs, like methamphetamines, cocaine, and heroin, can significantly damage to the inside of the your sensitive nose lining. Irritation and scabbing in the nose are common with the use of these drugs.
Nasal Cancer
Scab like boogers in nose that are persistent and don’t respond to treatment could indicate nasal cancer. Other cancer symptoms include sinus pressure, nosebleeds, runny nose, facial numbing, facial tingling, and ear pain or pressure.
Herpes/Cold Sores
Cold sores are most common around the mouth but they can appear inside the nose. These types of scabs usually starts with a burning and tingling feeling, followed by a sore that scabs over and forms a crust.
While extremely uncomfortable, the best thing you can do for scab like boogers in nose is to avoid touching them, harsh blowing, and allowing it to heal. Picking at the scab can cause more bleeding, which can cause more scab like boogers in nose. If you have painful scab like boogers in nose that aren’t healing a week despite home treatment and leaving it alone, make an appointment to see your doctor.
Want to see more ways to properly care for your nose? Check out 9 Easy Tips on How To Unstuff Your Nose.