Hey, you guys -- ow, my nose!

January 31, 2017 4:15 AM

The inside of my nose is dry, tight and painful, due to this never ending cold/flu cycle. I've exhausted neti pots, Vaseline and Boroleum. What else can I do? It's not raw or infected, just painful! Home remedies or secret salves?
posted by chesty_a_arthur to Health & Fitness (24 answers total)

Vaporizer or humidifier in the bedroom?
posted by Kriesa at 4:16 AM on January 31, 2017 [14 favorites]

Saline nasal spray (non-medicated so you can use it as much as you want).
posted by djb at 4:22 AM on January 31, 2017 [7 favorites]

Ponaris Nasal Emollient!

It's what the astronauts and Chitownfats use!!

(Seriously, it is good stuff. Search on Amazon)
posted by Chitownfats at 4:41 AM on January 31, 2017 [5 favorites]

Drink lots and lots and lots and LOTS of water, I mean seriously up your water intake. Your body needs spare water to deliver to your nasal mucosal linings. (Maybe? Actually maybe not?) Anyway drinking more water probably won't hurt you.

A saline spray with aloe will probably be good.

If Vaseline isn't doing it, you need something that has both the protective anti-evaporating qualities and some humectant/moisturizing qualities. I really really really like Palmer's cocoa butter swivel stick with Vitamin E. You can find it at CVS/Walgreens/Rite Aid and grocery stores.

Boroleum has menthol in it, which is a drying agent. Ditch it. It's giving you temporary relief for extended pain.

If I were super desperate, I'd be tempted to spread some Neosporin plus (has pramoxine as an analgesic) or Preparation H (make sure it's the kind that also has pramoxine in it) cream in my nose for pain relief. It's not a great idea, because you don't really want antibiotics in your nose nor do you really want steroids in your nose, but it's maybe not the worst idea?

I'm so sorry for you. I hope that this resolves soon!
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 4:42 AM on January 31, 2017 [2 favorites]

+1 vote for a humidifier running in your bedroom while you're sleeping. And, if you happen to be home during the day, move it around with you!
posted by Juniper Toast at 4:42 AM on January 31, 2017 [4 favorites]

Neti Pots made the inside of my nose worse. If you are still using one I'd try stopping it. Maybe try cold meds that don't dry you out like Mucinex. Drink plenty of water.
posted by jmsta at 5:03 AM on January 31, 2017 [4 favorites]

+1 to humidifier. I got one recently and the inside of my nose feels like a baby's behind
posted by winterportage at 5:32 AM on January 31, 2017 [2 favorites]

Definitely use a humidifier. And just hydrate like a mofo in general.

Nix any meds that are used for treating mucous/congestion. This SUPER DUPER includes dristan and the like. I know if my husband takes ANY sort of decongestant he gets very sore, dry sinuses and nasal passages which, according to him, is worse than the congestion. Makes his whole nasal passages so dry it hurts to breathe, according to him. And he gets nosebleeds. Just get it out the "natural" way (ie. having a hot steamy shower to loosen stuff up and then expel all the junk from your sinuses out your nose).
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 5:51 AM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]

My nose got a nice little yeast infection after being raw and sore for a while due to a cold. It was just around the inside nostrils a bit and just seemed like it wouldn't heal. I put an antifungal on for just a few days and it went away.
posted by waving at 5:58 AM on January 31, 2017

If you are that awful combination of dried out and stuffy, it can help to have spicy food-- I like Indian dishes with a lot of chilies-- that gets things running from the inside. You might think that would make your nose hurt worse, but I always feel considerably better for quite a while.

At night I use saline gel-- next to the saline spray in the drugstore-- because it lasts longer.
posted by BibiRose at 6:18 AM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]

I got a Navage recently after seeing it recommended here on Ask, and it is WONDERFUL. It laughs in the neti pot's general direction. The neti pot only wishes it were a fraction as effective as a Navage.

I use it at least once but often twice daily and my nose has never felt better. And I say that as someone who has been plagued by near-constant colds and sinus issues since my daughter was born a few years ago.
posted by anderjen at 7:20 AM on January 31, 2017

Humidifiers. In every room you spend more than a few minutes in our at least your bedroom. They even make portable ones for cars and desks.
posted by wwax at 7:32 AM on January 31, 2017

I know it's a bit too trendy as a cure-all right now, but, coconut oil, applied at every first sign of dryness, works well for me. (Definitely +1 on the humidifier.)
posted by kmennie at 7:49 AM on January 31, 2017

Everyone had already said it but just to up the volume on the advice: humidifier.
posted by holborne at 7:56 AM on January 31, 2017

For some reason I was advised to only use cold mist humidifers and they didn't work for me at all. I threw them away and got a bunch of the hot vapor ones. Boil serious water into your inside air, it helps with everything.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:07 AM on January 31, 2017

Best answer: After some minor nasal surgery, ENT doc suggested saline gel (ayr brand), but said "it's much cheaper to buy ky jelly, it's the same stuff". nb: I bought the ayr gel anywya.
posted by k5.user at 8:44 AM on January 31, 2017 [1 favorite]

Have you tried Flonase? It's an (mostly) over the counter nasal steroid that can help relieve inflammation.

For saline sprays, it could be entirely placebo but I perceive better results when I use one that's slightly alkaline.

Nthing a humidifier.
posted by Candleman at 8:45 AM on January 31, 2017

A nurse friend advised me not to put stuff inside your nose that isn't meant to go inside your nose, especially anything with petroleum products. Try Ayr gel for inside your nose--that stuff is amazing. I was skeptical from looking at the ingredients but it works. (If you think about it, the inside of your nose is very different skin and environment than the outside...)

For the outside of your nose, I like Eucerin at night (the thick stuff in the big tub). It's too thick to wear during the day but coat your nose up at bedtime and you'll be feeling better in a few days.

I would also discontinue anything with menthol.
posted by purple_bird at 9:05 AM on January 31, 2017 [2 favorites]

Humidifier and keep going with the boroleum. Stop with the saline and Neti pot as I found that had a drying effect.
posted by slateyness at 9:06 AM on January 31, 2017

Nasya Oil, though I don't do the lying down thing they describe here.
posted by dizziest at 9:42 AM on January 31, 2017

Tight and painful? The inside of your nose is CHAPPED.

Tossing water on chapped skin doesn't help. You need moisture, both humectant (to draw in moisture) and occlusive (to seal in moisture). Vaseline and Boroleum are both occlusives. You need to add moisture too.

Do you have a lip balm around the house with some sort of moisturizer (likely shea) and some sort of occlusive (probably wax or petrolieum)? Wipe that on your finger and put some in your nose.
posted by 26.2 at 10:05 AM on January 31, 2017

Seconding that (I've heard) you shouldn't put Vaseline or other oil/petroleum-based products on the inside of your nose -- apparently it can cause a form of pneumonia. Better to use a water-based lubricant.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:09 AM on January 31, 2017

I am having the same problem, and I like NeilMed NasoGel. I also steam the hell out of my nostrils (lean over a mug of boiled water and inhale like crazy).
posted by radioamy at 11:22 AM on January 31, 2017

Response by poster: K-Y liquid!!! Somehow works much better than Ayr or anything else. Thanks, all! Bonus: jokes about nasal sex. Yep, I'm 12.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 4:46 PM on February 1, 2017 [2 favorites]