Symptoms
Before typical blisters are seen, patients often feel a tingling or pain in the affected area. Small red blisters arranged in groups appear on and in the nose. After a short time, the skin symptoms fill with yellowish, liquid secretions.
The content of the blisters contains millions of viruses and is therefore highly infectious! Finally, the pustules burst open and fuse together, leaving small, sometimes very painful wounds. If the nasal mucosa is affected, nose blowing or sneezing can be extremely unpleasant!
In addition, the healing process is made considerably more difficult, as viruses can also rise up inside the nose.Finally, strongly itchy crusts are formed, scabbing occurs and finally healing occurs. Usually, the small herpes blisters heal without scarring. Usually, the symptoms of herpes are localized to the nose. In severe cases, e.g. when the entire nasal mucosa is affected, patients may experience considerable pain as well as a general feeling of illness with fatigue, tiredness or headaches.
Diagnosis
Herpes infections are almost always very easy to diagnose. A close look by the doctor is usually enough to diagnose herpes nasalis. To be on the safe side, your treating physician may take a smear of the vesicle secretion and have possible viral DNA determined in the laboratory.
Once infected with the herpes virus, the pathogen remains in our body for life. Therapeutically it is therefore not possible to remove the herpes simplex virus-1. For those affected, however, a herpes infection in and on the nose in particular represents a great burden.
Besides sometimes considerable pain and itching, patients often feel shame or even disgust for their disease. In order to shorten the course of the disease and prevent the vesicles from spreading, so-called “nucleoside analogues” are therefore often used. They prevent the viruses from multiplying and thus promote faster healing.
In the form of cooling gels, creams or nasal ointments, they can be easily applied locally to affected areas. Common substances include Aciclovir or Valaciclovir. If, for example, the disease spreads very widely throughout the entire nasal mucosa or face, or if there is a severe feeling of illness or a weakened immune system, it may even be necessary to administer the medication systemically in the form of tablets or infusions.
If the desperation is great, those affected often resort to various supposedly effective home remedies. Attempts to treat the annoying blisters with toothpaste, essential oils, vinegar, etc. are strongly discouraged!
By unnecessarily irritating the sensitive nasal mucosa, crusts can break open and spread the highly infectious contents to neighboring skin regions. In addition to drug therapy, strict hygiene measures are a top priority. Wash your hands regularly, avoid contact with the virus-containing blisters and use your own towels.
Herpes on the nose can sometimes be very painful and itchy because of the painful and itchy blisters. In most cases, a cream or ointment containing the active ingredient Aciclovir is sufficient to get the problem under control. This is applied to the affected areas.
The treatment is completed on average after 2 weeks. In some cases, however, local treatment is not sufficient and additional tablets must be taken. These are usually prescribed by the doctor.
Here too, an important lead substance is the antiviral active ingredient Aciclovir. It is particularly important for the success of the therapy that the herpes blisters are not manipulated, punctured or touched. This only allows the viruses to spread and makes successful treatment more difficult.
Often one reads about home remedies that are to be used for herpes in general and especially for nasal herpes in order to achieve a cure. At this point, however, only home remedies can be advised against. Although they can be very helpful in many other cases, home remedies for nasal herpes are more than counterproductive. They are ineffective because they cannot ultimately fight the viruses, and delay effective treatment with antiviral drugs. In addition, manipulation of the nose with home remedies can cause the germs to be carried over the hands and face, worsening the course of the disease and encouraging infection of other people.
