Itchy nose can be a difficult condition to live with. What does it mean? Find the causes of itchy tip and inside of nose. In this page we shall address the superstitions and myths associated with an itchy skin on nose. Food allergy, sneezing, nose piercing and throat problems are some of the possible causes. Treatment and home remedies to relieve itching are covered in the post.
An itchy skin is not a harmful condition. It is common and most will clear up on their own within a week or two. The American Academy of Dermatology looks at itching also called pruritus as a common skin irritation and an urgent urge to always scratch. Over-the-counter topical creams can be used to relieve the skin of this itching.
When caused by rash, an itchy nose will also be accompanied by small raised itchy bumps. The rash may also cause the nose to appear swollen and inflamed. The skin may feel warm and depending with the underlying cause of the rash, other symptoms might be shown to. Rash can be painful and more discomforting especially to children, you need to see a professional health care provide to have the condition diagnose to establish the cause.
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Those with weak immune system, those using immune suppressing drugs, those on chemotherapy and those diagnosed with diabetes or have family history of diabetes should report this to their doctors immediately to avoid and medical complication.
Itchy Nose Symptoms
Some rash causing itching are asymptomatic (the do not show any visible symptom or sign). Others are not. The symptoms will vary from person to person and will depend on the underlying cause of the itching. Those caused by external substance such as contact dermatitis will be different from those caused by an underlying medical complication or those caused by virus and fungal infection such as chicken pox, shingles and Lyme disease.
Common symptoms will include the following:
- Small itchy bumps on nose, cheek, forehead and around ear
- Fever especially for children
- The skin may feel tight and itchy
- Dry flaky and cracked face
- Swollen lymph glands behind ear
- The face may swell
- Small itchy blisters
- Swollen nose
Seek medical advice is you have had any of the listed symptoms for more than a week accompanied by itchy rash.
Itchy Nose Meaning – Superstition
Medically a nose will itchy because of some sort of irritation such as the case with dermatitis or a symptom of an underlying medical complication such as diabetes and overactive auto immune conditions. Itching can also indicate an infection possibly from having pierced your nose.
Apart from the above causes, there exist different superstition and myth about itching in different parts of the body. This myth vary geographically and as such their interpretation will vary from place to place. A common myth about itchy nose is that you are going to kiss a fool if your nose itch. Other say that you are going to get into a fight whereas other interpret it as sign of possible curse.
In the southern region of the United States, a common myth about having an itchy nose is that, when that happens you are going to have an invited visitor. The interpretation of the myth does not stop there, it goes further to say that, if it is the left side of the nose that itch, then the uninvited visitor is most probably going to be a man. On the other hand if the right part of the nose itches, then the visitor will be a woman.
Those in the North disagrees with this interpretation, to them an itchy tip of nose is interpreted as a possible signal of receiving a letter. It is not clear if receiving an email is part of the superstition.
What Causes Itchy Nose (Tip, Skin or Inside)?
Discussed below are some of the possible causes an itchy nose and face. The cause will vary from one person to the other. The cause of the itching will determine if the itching will be mild or sever. You need to seek medical diagnosis to be sure of what is causing the itching to facilitate treatment.
1. Itchy nose Allergy
Allergy is the common cause of itching on face and skin. The most type of allergy is a gluten rash. A common form pf this condition is dermatitis herpetiformis, it is a severe skin rash associated with celiac disease. The common symptoms are extremely itchy and blistering skin. The rash is common on elbows and knees but can happen on any part of the body.
The only treatment available for this condition is maintaining a gluten free diet. No medication is required. Avoid beer and barley and any food containing gluten.
2. Nose Piercing causing itching
Piercing your nose may lead to your skin reacting with the nickel. Using unsterilized and contaminated tools might also be a cause of transmitting virus such as the one causing AIDS. The open wound can also contract bacterial and fungal causing the nose to swell due to infection.
3. Itchy Nose after Eating
A possible explanation of why you would get you nose itchy after eating is when you have an allergy to the food you took. This will be true for people with celiac disease or have gluten intolerance. The symptoms can be severe and painful.
The symptoms will include:
- swollen face,
- small raised bumps on skin,
- sneezing, itchy running nose,
- your tongue, lips and eyes may swell
- wheezing and chest tightness
To reduce this symptoms you can take oral cromolyn epinephrine. These drugs are available over-the-counter.
4. Itching caused by Worms
Pinworm or threadworms are parasitic worms that infect the large intestine of humans. They are white and resembles small pieces of thread. The itching is usually caused by the mucus they produce. The worms are highly infectious, if one of your family member is infected, all of you will need to be treated even when no symptoms has been showed.
5. Itchy Nose after Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty is a surgery done to reshape the nose. It can help change the size of the nose or the angle the nose is position. It can also be used to correct very many other defects of the nose. It is possible for you to experience itching after such a procedure.
Tell your dermatology of this and he will be able to prescribe the best anti-itching medication that will not interfere with your treatment.
6. Dry face skin
This can be caused by applying to much make up and skin moisturizers. Hash soaps and body lotion can also cause this condition. Those with diabetes, psoriasis and malnutrition can make this condition worse.
7. Neuropathy on face and nose
Neuropathy is another possible cause of skin itching. Neuropathy is a dysfunction of peripheral nerves causing numbness. The condition can also cause tingling and pricking sensation. Muscles weakness is also a common symptoms.
Other causes
Other possible causes that might lead to an itchy nose are the following:
- Diabetes and itching nose
- Psoriasis on face
- Rosacea
- Contact dermatitis
- Eczema- atopic dermatitis
Itchy Nose Old Wives Tale
There exist very many superstitions and myth about having part of your skin itchy. The interpretation of the myths vary geographically. For itchy nose the superstition will be interpreted In relation to the part of the nose that itch. If the itching is on the tip of nose, the left side of nose or the right. The itchy inside nose will also have a different interpretation from the outside.
A common myth about itchy nose is that of the southern part of the United State. Old wives tale there say that when the left nostril itches, it is a sign that uninvited male will be visiting in a near future. When it is the right nostril that itches, then the uninvited visitor will most possible be a female. When the itching is inside the nose, then it is
Other common superstitions and myth about itchy nose are as follows:
- You are going to Quarrel someone
- That when your nose itches it is possible you will Enter into a fight
- Kiss a fool this is most common among those in the Northern part of the United State
- Someone is thinking of you what a way to feel an affection right?
- It is possible you will receive a letter I am not sure if the superstition hold for email, an even awesome way would be to try it out with a friend.
- You are going to get money,
The list above is only a few of the existing myth and superstition about itching. Let’s as leave it as such- a myth. It is important to have health care provide cheek the itching out if it gets unbearable.
Itchy Nose and Throat
A common cause of itchy nose is when your body comes in contact with allergens. This are substance which are reactive to your body and may be exhibited by symptoms such as itching, sneezing and skin rash. When the body comes in contact with allergen, it releases histamine, a natural chemical that defends the body against such allergens.
The histamine produced is the cause of an allergic rhinitis commonly known as hay fever. The most visible symptoms of this allergy is running nose, sneezing, itchy nose and eyes. Other symptoms will include watery eyes, stuffy nose, sores and scratchy throat.
The cause of this allergy is triggered when the body comes into contact with grass, pollen grain, dust, mites, cockroaches, cigarette smoke and strong body perfumes. Hay fever is common and harmless, but sever cases of the symptoms can difficult to handle. You need to seek medical attention if you start noticing symptoms such as:
- Regular headaches that take long to heal
- General excessive body fatigue
- The skin gets too itchy and start to blister
- Sore or scratchy throat
- Constant coughing
- Running nose
To treat an allergy causing itching, the following can be used:
- Antihistamine can be used to force the body to stop secreting histamine. If you are already under medication, make sure you talk to your doctor before starting a new medication
- To relieve a stuffy nose, you can use a decongestant. For those with high blood pressure make sure you talk about this with you doctor before using the medication.
- Eye drop and nasal spray can also be used. The two are good for itching and other allergy-related symptoms.
- For severe cases of allergic reaction, your doctor may prescribe an immunotherapy. It can be used independently or together with other medication to relieve the symptoms. An example is sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT)
- You can also reduce the contact to the allergen by making sure you keep you beddings clean. Vacuum your house to make sure it is dust and mites free.
Vey Itchy Nose at Night, During Cold
Itchy can occur at any time of the day or night. But it is common for the itching to be more sever at night compared too during the day. This can be problematic as it greatly affects the normal sleeping patterns. The exact cause of this phenomenon is unknown. It is important that when you are still exposed to the allergens causing the itching the condition is more likely to take long to heal.
A chronic night itching can be a clear sign of an underlying medical complication you need to seek medical attention from a dermatologist. This can be very true when the itching is accompanied by swelling, inflammation, a rash and small raised itchy bumps. The common cause of night itching has been linked to psoriasis and eczema also called atopic dermatitis.
You can try using anti-itching creams or gel to see if the skin soothe and allow you some sleep. When the itching is accompanied by stuffy nose, try rubbing an onion. You can also try drinking warm water or peppermint tea.
Itchy Nose and Sneezing
Having your nose itchy and sneeze at the same time is a clear indication of hay fever. This is an allergy caused by pollen and dust, it causes the mucous membrane of the eye and nose to become itchy and inflamed. It may cause some visible symptoms such as running nose and watery eyes.
There is no treatment for hay fever. However people are able to relieve the symptoms with different medication for some time. Therefor the best way would be to avoid all the allergens causing hay fever. Keep you environment clean and free from dust. Antihistamine creams and corticosteroids may also help reduce the inflammation and swelling.
Itchy Nose Skin Treatment, Cure, Medicine
Treating an itching part of your body will depend on the underlying cause of the itching. The medication will also respond differently to different people. Before you start treating an itchy nose, you need to make sure the condition has been diagnosed and the cause established.
People with weak immune system, especially those with HIV/AIDS, diabetic, those on cancer medication (chemotherapy), and those using immune suppressive, should not take any medication unless prescribed by a professional health care provider.
The following cab be use to relieve the skin of a nose that itch:
- To reduce the histamine level causing hay fever, your doctor may prescribe antihistamine medication, this can be in oral or injection form.
- Topical corticosteroid can be prescribed for mild cases of inflammation, swelling and itching. The medication can also be used for blistering skin and itchy raised bumps
- When the itching become sever, an antidepressant can be prescribe. This can either administered as an injectable or an oral pill.
- For those resistant to corticosteroid, another alternative- Calcieurin inhibitors can be used in its place. It works the same way a corticosteroid does in reducing the itching and inflammation.
Home Remedy to Relieve, Get Rid Of Itchy Nose
- Onion, cut a fresh onion and sniff it to unblock a stuffy nose. Eat food spiced with pepper can also be helpful.
- Hot Peppermint tea can be very helpful for stuffy nose and severe headache caused by running nose.
- Aloe Vera gel is a great skin moisturizer. It is also a strong anti-bacterial and anti-itching agent. It can be used to relieve the itching caused by contact dermatitis and eczema.
- Oatmeal wash face wash twice a day is an effective remedy for itching skin. Just add a cup of colloidal oatmeal powder in your bathing water then wash your body. Do this twice a day for a week and the results will be admirable.
- Baking soda paste for rash is also a good remedy. Just add one part water to three part baking soda powder. For an even better remedy, try using honey in place of water. Apply the paste on the itchy part, leave it for 20 minutes then rinse it off.
- Olive oil is a great skin moisturizer. When applied on itchy skin, it will help relieve the skin of the itching. It will also help keep the skin moisturized to avid flaky cracks.
- Apple cider vinegar, among other things, it is an antiseptic, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial agent. It is thus an effective remedy for itching caused by dry skin. This will include sun burn and contact dermatitis.
Sources and references
- http://www.healthline.com/health/allergic-rhinitis#Remedies8
- http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/hay-fever/Pages/Introduction.aspx
- http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Threadworms/Pages/Introduction.aspx