How To Treat An Uncomfortable Dry, Cracked Nose

If you've ever felt like you can't leave your tissue box far behind, it's likely you've suffered from a dry nose before. According to New York ENT, when the sinuses are healthy, the nasal passages are lined with mucus, a protective, liquid substance that helps moisturize your nose. Mucus helps reduce sinus irritation, like dry nose, and in turn, protects your body against illnesses. When mucus isn't in the nasal passages, it leaves your nose at risk of developing infections, swelling, and nosebleeds.

While a dry nose is common, it can appear for various reasons, such as a dry environment, illness, or a specific health condition. Verywell Health reports some health conditions, like Sjogren's syndrome, can cause dry nose, mouth, and throat. It's also possible allergies are to blame for a dry nose if you're constantly blowing your nose, or if your body has lost too much water and becomes dehydrated.

Typically, a dry nose isn't a cause for concern, but it can leave behind some uncomfortable symptoms. When left untreated, a dry nose may cause your nasal passages to bleed, burn, itch, or scab, according to MedicalNewsToday. Some of these symptoms can be painful, so treatment is vital to your overall health.

To treat a dry nose, start by hydrating your body and using a humidifier. Vicks states when the body is dehydrated, it has trouble moisturizing the nose like it should, so be sure to drink water. To help with hydration for your nostrils, use a humidifier to add moisture to the air. These handy devices hold a certain amount of water that's then turned into water vapor.

If you don't have a humidifier, take a steamy shower or sit in your bathroom with the door shut and hot bath water running. The steam from the hot water will act as a humidifier for your nose, providing some relief to dry nose symptoms. In addition to creating moisture for your nasal passages, you can treat a dry nose with petroleum jelly, too. According to Healthline, a small amount of petroleum jelly (or lip balm) applied to the lining of your nasal passages keeps the nose moisturized.

A common dry nose treatment is a nasal spray, often filled with a saline solution. It not only helps hydrate and moisturize the nose, but the spray may alleviate other symptoms you're having. Nasal sprays help clean out any dirt and debris in the nasal passages and may alleviate congestion, too (via Healthline). If you can't seem to shake a dry nose, reach out to your doctor for additional relief.