How to get rid of pimple in nose

How to get rid of a pimple in your nose

Pimple in your nose is a deep bacterial infection of hair follicles in your nose. It is often called boil or furuncle. A boil is a deep form of bacterial folliculitis; superficial folliculitis is sometimes present at the same time. Staphylococcus aureus can be cultured from the skin lesions.

Boils present as one or more tender red spots, lumps or pustules. Careful inspection reveals that the boil is centred on a hair follicle.

If there are multiple heads, the lesion is called a “carbuncle”. Large boils form abscesses, defined as an accumulation of pus within a cavity. Cellulitis may also occur, i.e. infection of the surrounding tissues, and this may cause fever and illness.

A boil in your nose can be a serious infection, because the boil (nasal furuncle) may develop into a spreading infection under the skin (cellulitis) at the tip of the nose. Doctors are concerned about infections in this part of the face because veins lead from there to the brain. A life-threatening condition called cavernous sinus thrombosis can develop if the bacteria spread to the brain through these veins ¹⁾.

Another infection that may present as pimple in your nose is called nasal vestibulitis. It is a minor infection at the opening of the nose, and may result in pimples at the base of nasal hairs (folliculitis) and sometimes crusts around the nostrils. The cause is usually the bacteria Staphylococcus. The infection may result from nose picking or excessive nose blowing and causes annoying crusts and bleeding when the crusts slough off. Bacitracin ointment or mupirocin ointment usually cures nasal vestibulitis. The ointment may need to be used for many weeks.

What causes boils

Most people with boils are otherwise healthy and have good personal hygiene. They do however carry Staphylococcus aureus on the surface of their skins (staphylococcal carrier state) ²⁾. Why this occurs is usually not known, but it is estimated that 10–20% of the population are staphylococcal carriers.

• Staphylococcus aureus is most commonly carried in the nostrils, armpits, between the legs and in the cleft between the buttocks. It may be transferred to other sites from the nostrils via the finger nails.

Tiny nicks or grazes or something rubbing against the skin can innoculate the bacteria into the wall of a hair follicle which is a weak point in the skin’s defences. Once innoculated, the bacteria cause a boil which goes on to run its usual course of about 10 days.

Although most people with boils are otherwise healthy, boils are sometimes related to immune deficiency, anaemia, diabetes, smoking or iron deficiency.

What is the treatment for pimple in nose ?

A person with a nasal furuncle usually takes an antibiotic by mouth and applies mupirocin ointment and also moist hot cloths 3 times a day for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time. A doctor may need to surgically drain large boils or those that do not respond to antibiotic therapy.

Medical treatment of boils

Treatment of boils depends on their severity. Your doctor may give you specific advice and medical treatment, some are listed below:

• Antiseptic or antibacterial soap in your daily bath or shower for a week then twice weekly for several weeks. The cleanser may cause a little dryness.
• Use a hand sanitiser regularly to reduce the chance of reinfecting yourself or others with contaminated hands.
• Antiseptic or antibiotic ointment or gel to apply to the inside of the nostrils.
• Wipe the entire skin surface daily for a week with 70% isopropyl alcohol in water (this will make the skin dry).
• Apply a topical antiseptic such as povidone iodine or chlorhexidine cream to the boils and cover with a square of gauze.
• Your doctor may prescribe an oral antibiotic (usually the penicillin antibiotic flucloxacillin), sometimes for several weeks.
• Other members of the family with boils should also follow a skin cleansing regime.
• Your doctor may also advise the family to apply topical antibiotic to their nostrils in case they are Staphylococcus aureus carriers as well.
• If the boils fail to clear up, a swab should be taken for microbiological culture, in case of methicillin (meticillin) resistant staphylococci.
• Sometimes, special antibiotics may be prescribed on the recommendation of a specialist, including fusidic acid, clindamycin, rifampicin and cephalosporins.

General measures to prevent boils

• Consult your doctor about your general health.
• If you are overweight, try to reduce your weight; take regular exercise.
• Follow a balanced healthy diet with meat, plenty of fruit and vegetables.
• Avoid smoking.
• Wash your whole body once a day with soap or cleanser and water. Wash your hands several times daily or use antiseptic hand rubs.
• Don’t share your flannel or towel with other family members.
• Maintain a clean handkerchief and don’t pick your nose!
• Change your underclothes and night attire regularly.
• Consider modifying leisure activities that cause sweating and friction from clothing, such as squash and jogging.
• If you are iron deficient, a course of iron tablets may help reduce infection.
• 1000 mg of vitamin C each day has also been advocated to improve deficient neutrophil function.

How to Pop a Pimple Inside Your Nose

Step 1. Take an over-the-counter pain medication such as ibuprofen about a half hour before you attempt to pop the zit inside of your nose. The inflammation around the pimple can make the skin inside of your nose extremely tender, and a pain relief medication can help dull the pain.

Step 2. Head to a well-lit room with a magnifying mirror. You’ll need to see clearly to pop the zit, especially with the tools and method you’re using. Tilt the magnifying glass so you can see up your nose and clearly identify the zit.

Step 3. Wash your hands well with antibacterial soap. Rub a basic sewing needle with rubbing alcohol, suggests Acne.org. You’ll use it to pop the zit and you need to ensure it’s clean and won’t spread infection.

Step 4. Insert the tip of the needle through the surface of the zit, suggests Dr. Mehmet Oz of “The Dr. Oz Show.” Never squeeze the area around the zit. Squeezing a zit only damages the surrounding tissue. The top of the zit is already dead skin, so it’s fine to prick it as long as you’re using a clean instrument.

Step 5. Inset a cotton swab and apply slight pressure on the area beside the popped zit. This will help drain the pus from the zit. Wipe the discharge away with the cotton swab.

Step 6. Dab a small amount of antibacterial ointment on a clean cotton swab and brush it over the popped zit. This will help you fend off the germs that can cause infection and help speed the healing process.