HomeAnswersOtolaryngology (E.N.T)dry nostrilsWhy am I having dryness in nostril?

Is it normal to get dryness in the nostril?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Divya Banu M

Published At May 26, 2019
Reviewed AtJuly 26, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

About 16 days ago I started getting dryness in my left nostril only. Mucus felt like super glue. I chalked it up to season change but it did not go away. So I went to my primary care doctor, they chalked it up to seasonal and could not see anything with the limited view of the tools they had other than irritation on the left side. I scheduled another appointment about a week later when the symptoms still had not gone away. I realized when I used a Q-Tip to clean my nose in that nostril that I would get blood (not a nosebleed). It was on the inside of the Q-Tip only so it was a specific area in the back of my nose. I was getting an aching pain on that side of my face. The doctor gave me Amox and Flonase, I took the Amoxicillin for five days and am still using the Flonase. The congestion has definitely improved, but I am still getting inconsistent blood when I touch that area, light aching that is inconsistent or when I cough that I can feel in the left sinus. Left nostril still feels sticky. I am 35 years old, I smoked off an on for about 6 to 7 years (have not touched a cigarette in about four years). I used oral tobacco for about 3 to 4 years (have not used in two years now) and I vaped for about two years (stopped about 14 days ago). There is no history of sinus or head cancer in my family other than my grandmother who had skin cancer on the flap of her right nostril. She was a lifetime smoker, it was removed. I am not experiencing any weight loss (the opposite actually), I am not fatigued, I am not getting headaches, my sense of smell and appetite is intact. I just want to know why I am having these symptoms. It does not really get cold here. Even when it has I have never had reactions to season change.

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Do not worry at all. It does not look like cancer at all. All the symptoms you have seem to be for chronic sinusitis. The antibiotic you had is not bad but according to my opinion it is not enough to treat sinus infections in adults, so I recommend Medofloxine 750 mg once daily for 10 days. Medofloxine is a Fluoroquinolone. In case you cannot find it in your country you can use Moxifloxacin 400 mg for ten days which is a Fluoroquinolone too. Also, you need to add a mucolytic to liquify the mucus inside your sinus. Continue the Flonase. After 10 days of treatment if no improvement, you have to perform a CT scan for your nose and sinuses to see what is the shape of the pathology inside your sinus. As the infection can be fungal, not bacterial but fungal infection is rare although it is a far possibility.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Mohammed Osama Aboborda
Dr. Mohammed Osama Aboborda

Otolaryngology (E.N.T)

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