Nasal Passageway Infection

A pimple inside of one's nose can be quite painful, and can make cleaning the nasal passageway difficult.

I find that infections inside the nasal passageway are more common than many would think. Common causes include accidental cuts in the mucosal lining while grooming and overly aggressive cleaning (no elegant way to describe enthusiastic picking with sharp nails).

Infections in the nose can also be caused by regular intake of casein in dairy. In some genetically predisposed people, casein can trigger inflammation in the body which can manifest as recurrent middle ear or inner nose infections - I can't count the number of people I have worked with over the years who overcame chronic ear and nose infections like acne rosacea by removing dairy from their diets.

So how does one treat a pimple in the nose? Generally, it's best to leave pimples alone, as aggressive handling can lead to spreading of the infection - it's the same with regular pimples on the skin where some people create additional pimples by aggressively trying to scrub existing ones to get them to dissipate. Generally, unless a dermatologist recommends otherwise, the best way to treat a pimple is to keep the area clean and pat dry in gentle fashion; leave it alone and the body will clear the infection out as efficiently as possible from within.

If you experience recurrent pimples in the nose and you can rule out injury from grooming or cleaning, it's generally worthwhile to go without all forms of dairy for a good 90 days to see if casein is the culprit.

Some physicians recommend using an antibiotic ointment to accelerate healing, which is something that I don't generally recommend, as the mucosal lining within your nose is very similar to that of your lungs, and is not designed to be in contact with petroleum jelly, which is typically a component of ointments that are intended for external use.

I have had some clients who have tried using prescription nasal sprays that contain antibiotics - so long as there are no petroleum products within a nasal spray, I think this is fine for a short period of time, though my understanding is that these sprays are quite expensive, somewhere in the range of $50 to $80. You can substitute with a few cotton swabs dipped in hydrogen peroxide or if this is too strong, hydrogen peroxide diluted with an equal amount of water is also effective as a natural antiseptic.

For people who want something stronger, I have some clients use a mixture of 3 drops of oil of oregano in one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide and two tablespoons of water. But please keep in mind that oil of oregano can sting when it hits your mucosal lining, so it's best to have a basin of cold salt water to rinse with after.

Speaking of which, cold salt water is your least invasive choice as a natural remedy for a nasal infection. You can dissolve a small handful of table salt in about 64 ounces of cold water and use this saline solution to thoroughly rinse your nasal passageway three times a day until the infection has subsided.

Hope these tips come in handy at some point.