Cold Sores in Nose Causes, Pictures, Treatment and Home Remedies

Why do I get cold sores in my nose? Does that question ring bells in your brain? Well, irrespective of their specific causes, cold sores in nose suck! This article will share with take you through some causes them and discuss some treatment options. We’ll also discuss some home remedies for cold sore in the nose and feature some pictures of such sores to guide you.

Why Do I Get Cold Sores In My Nose?

What causes cold sores in my nose? If this is a question that you wish someone could give you an answer to, then you could easily be suffering from nasal herpes. Yes, nasal herpes is the most common cause in and on the nose.

Sometimes referred to as fever blisters, this condition is usually caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV). Nasal cold sores are specifically caused by strain 1 of HSV (HSV-1). They usually last a short time (between 7 and 10 days), but in some people, they may recur. On average patients with recurrent herpes infection experience 3 bouts per year, but some may experience as much as twelve tacks in a single year.

Cold sores (or herpes labialis if you like) start as tingling sensation which starts 2 to 3 days before the actual sore. The tingling usually progresses into small blisters with a white substance which are often painful. The blisters eventually burst up. The “weeping stage” that follows the opening up of the blisters is marked with high degree of contagiousness.

Following the bursting of the blisters, crusts develop in the affected area before drying up and eventually, they drop off.

People suffering from them can transmit it to others through kissing and contact with the affected area.

Although cold sores heal after some days, herpes virus infection remains dormant in your facial nerves, suppressed by the immune system. The virus can however not be completely eliminated. The condition may thus recur at a later time triggered by factors such as stress, fatigue, injuries and trauma, sunlight, hormonal changes (e.g. during menstruation) and dental surgery among others.

Cold Sore Nose Pictures & Images

Relish seeing some cold sore nose pictures? Well we have got you covered. The cold sores pictures below will help you get an idea of what nasal herpes virus infection sores looks like.

This picture shows a patient with sores in and around the nose. In some areas, the these sores are still in the blister stage while in others, they have already broken out into sores.

The lady in this picture 2 also has cold sores in the nose.

This image [Image 3: Cold Sore Nose Picture] shows a severe case  on the nose and the surrounding areas. Such a case requires medical attention.

Canker Sore in Nose, The same as Cold sores?

Although often used synonymously, the terms “canker sores”

and “cold nasal sores” don’t refer to the same thing. While cold nasal sores are viral infections caused by Herpes virus, canker sores are bacterial infections that manifest themselves as small, circular, white patches enclosed in a sharp halo of red. Unlike cold nasal sores, canker sores are not contagious.

Cold Sore in Nose Treatment

Cold sores in nose are unsightly and annoying for most people, however, they typically heal themselves without any treatment. They can however spread too much in people with immunosuppression or result in more severe symptoms. This would require administration of medications to control the viral infection.

You should also seek the attention of your doctor if the normally white cold sores develop pus or become reddened as this is mostly a sign of bacterial infection. You should also see your doctor if the sores in the nose spread to other parts of the body especially the eyes. Herpes virus can make the cornea to develop an ulcer, resulting in blindness.

Treatment of cold sores in the nose typically involves the use of antiviral and soothing products.

Antiviral treatment: this is the most common treatment option for cold nasal sores and involves the use of antiviral creams. Most non-prescription or over-the-counter antiviral creams contains aciclovir as the active ingredient. Such creams are sold with names such as Herpetad, Soothelip and Zovirax.

When used at the onset , that is as soon as the tingling sensation is felt, aciclovir can prevent further development of the sore. If applied later on, it can reduce the period of infection. Although it used to be only available on prescription, aciclovir creams can now available in most pharmacies.

Soothing products for cold sores

There are also numerous products available to relieve the discomfort associated with these sores. Such products typically contain antiseptic ingredients (such as iodine and cetrimide), soothing ingredients (e.g. zinc sulphate) and local anesthesia (e.g. lidocaine). Sold under names such as Cymex, Blistex, Brush-Off Lotion, and Lypsyl Cold Sore Gel among others, these products only soothe the sores but have no action against the herpes virus. They are however not generally recommended for children.

You should however see a doctor if symptoms of cold sores persist for more than two weeks or if the above non-prescription treatments options don’t seem to get relieve the symptoms.

Home Remedies for Cold Sores on Nose

If you are a great fun of home remedies, here are a few home remedies for cold cores on the nose that you might want to consider:

• Apply some petroleum jelly: this is one of the easiest home remedies for cold sores. Petroleum jelly quickens up the healing process. It also prevents secondary infection of the cold nasal sores by providing a protective barrier.
• Chew a licorice whip: the glycyrrhizic acid found in licorice helps to shorten the duration of infection. Look for the term “licorice mass” in the ingredients section of the product labeling to ensure that the whip contains pure licorice. Sprinkling a little licorice powder on the cold sore is also a great option.
• Place some ice cubes on the cold sore as soon as you detect it is forming.
• Dab a cotton ball soaked in milk gently on these sores. This usually quickens the healing process.

Suggested Further Reading:

• Pimple in Nose – Causes, Meaning and Getting Rid
• Nose Twitching – Cause, Meaning, Superstition & How to Stop
• Nose Picking & How to Stop Picking Your Nose
• Nose Pain – On Nose Bridge, Inside Broken Nose Pain
• Itchy Nose – Meaning, Superstition, Myth, Relief & Runny
• Sores in Nose that Won’t Heal – Causes & What to Do
• Scab in Nose Causes, Bloody, Painful Scabs in Nose that Won’t Go
• Swollen Nasal Passages Causes, Allergies, Treatment & Medicine
• Swollen Nose – Causes, Red, On Bridge, Nose Tip and During Pregnancy
• Nose Bridge – Piercing, Sore, Painful & Surgery
• Dry Nose Symptoms, Remedies, Treatments, Dry Skin on Nose
• Causes of Redness around Nose and How to Get Rid of Redness Around Nose