March 5, 2010

Causes & Cure for Pimples Inside Nose

Posted in Category : Natural Cures

Pimples are one of the most common problems affecting both adults and teenagers. It is even estimated that there are around 17 million people in the US alone who have pimples at any point in time. More than 80% of this figure belongs to the age group of 18 to 24. It is common knowledge that puberty is one of the major causes of pimples, but this does not explain the reason for people getting pimples past their teens and sometimes into their thirties as well.

In this article, we will endeavor to explain why exactly pimples are caused inside the nose and how you can get rid of them.

Pimples or acne are of many different types; they are as follows:

  • White heads, a clogged follicle.
  • Black heads, a clogged follicle but with a dark surface.
  • Papules, inflammations that appear as small pink bumps.
  • Pustules (pimples), inflamed pus-filled lesions.

Causes

The skin secretes oil, which keeps it healthy and supple. The quantity of the oil produced is different for different people. People whose skin produces more oil run the risk of this oil thickening in their hair follicles, forming what is referred to as sebum. This sebum irritates the cells on the inside of the follicle and also tends to collect dead skin cells, which plug the hair follicle. Bacteria come to feed on the dead skin cells and cause an infection in the hair follicle, leading to inflammation.

It is basically the degree of inflammation that differentiates a pimple from a white or black head. In fact, a white head and a black head are the same, except that in a white head, the tip of the plug remains white, whereas in some people, the cells that plug the follicle oxidize and turn black. Black heads are not caused by dirt, and in fact, scrubbing the face with too much of soap or other cleaning agents or even washing too frequently with water will only worsen the situation. This is because scrubbing the face or using too much of washing or cleansing agents will cause the infection to spread to surrounding areas.

What are Pimples Inside the Nose?

Pimples inside the nose are very rarely the same sort of pimples that form on the surface of the skin. It is usually a case of folliculitis, where the base of the hair follicle inside the nose gets infected. Usually, this happens because of an imbalance in the bacteria that populates the inside of the nostrils. Pimples inside the nose have been linked to the excessive or chronic use of antibiotics, which kills all the good bacteria inside the nose, leaving behind the bad ones to cause an infection. Very rarely will there be other causes because the inside of the nose has a layer of mucus and not much oil is produced.

A blind pimple in the nose is the same, except that it is difficult to locate the follicle that is infected. The infection is also deep-rooted and the sebum inside would have hardened to form a cyst. The infection is also much higher, causing more inflammation.

Cure

There are a number of medical as well as natural remedies for pimples. Medication is usually restricted to washing the face a couple of times with mild benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Azelaic acid has also been shown to be effective at killing off the bacteria that causes the infection.

None of these are, however, recommended unless the severity of the pimples is very high. Usually, leaving it as it is will cause the body to expel the infection in less than a week. Using warm compresses on the pimple will help speed up this process.

Natural remedies include using sandalwood paste, baking soda, aloe vera, jojoba oil, lemon juice, and rose water extract to dry out the pimple quickly. Aloe vera and lemon juice kill the bacteria, whereas baking soda, sandalwood paste, rose water, etc. dry out the oil from the skin. Natural remedies have not been studied for their effects on pimples, although there is a wealth of historical and anecdotal references to prove that they work.

When it comes to pimples in the nose, just stopping the antibiotics will usually set things right in a week’s time. Once the antibiotics are stopped, the good bacteria will grow back, reducing the amount of bad bacteria that causes infection.

There are people who recommend squeezing out a zit in the nose, and while this may not cause problems when done properly, there is always the chance that squeezing the skin hard will damage follicles in that area, leading to more pimples forming there.

The infected pus that comes out is also still full of live bacteria and will therefore spread the infection. Waiting till they form a head so that the inflammation subsides on its own will ensure that the body’s immune system will kill all the bacteria so that when the pimple does explode, it doesn’t spread the infection.

It is best to consult a doctor if you feel that the inflammation and pain are worsening.

References

  1. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/acne-000001.htm
  2. http://brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/common_college_health_issues/acne.php