sore inside my nose that wont heal

Thank you for consulting with Doctor spring. I understand that you have been worried about an ulcer inside your nose which has failed to heal for over a year.

Nasal ulcers have a variety of causes:

1. They may be due to a dry air or dust causing desiccation of the mucosa of your nose.

2.  If you inhale snuff or use other medication as an intranasal preparation, the particles may be settling in your nose causing an infection.

3. Allergies to some drugs may present with nasal ulcers.

4. Herpes simplex infection causes vesicles and ulceration in the mucosa of the nose and mouth.

5. Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium which is normally present in your nose. But when there is a small cut or break in the mucosa it may infect the cut thus not allowing it to heal.

6. Folliculitis or infection of the hair roots in the nose.

7. Some auto immune diseases like Pemphigus, Lupus Erythematosus and Wegener's granulomatosis can present with nasal sores.

Firstly, I'd like to tell you not to meddle with your nose especially with dirty hands. Do not pick or peel the crust. To remove crusts in the nose, you can use an over the counter saline spray to soften the crusts and just blow your nose gently to bring out the crusts.

If the ulcer bleeds, use firm pressure to close your nostrils with your finger in the side of your nose. This maneuver should stop the bleed in most cases if you do not pick at the clot that has formed immediately.

Visit your Doctor because it is important to see how your ulcer looks and just to be sure it is not anything else you are mistaking to be an ulcer. Hope this information was of use to you.