Nasal ulceration can be commonly caused by trauma or irritation from picking or blowing the nose to roughly, or foreign bodies inside the nose. Other causes of sores in the nose include chronic allergies, acne, or skin conditions like abscess or pimples.
9 causes of nasal ulcers
This list does not constitute medical advice and may not accurately represent what you have.
Blistering disease (pemphigus)
Pemphigus is an autoimmune disorder, meaning that the immune system attacks healthy cells in the skin and mouth, causing blisters and sores. This is a rare disease, and doctors are not completely sure of the cause.
Rarity: Ultra rare
Top Symptoms: nasal ulcer, skin peeling, hoarse voice, painful rash, red or pink, rough patch of skin
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Pimple
Pimples are also called comedones, spots, blemishes, or "zits." Medically, they are small skin eruptions filled with oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria.
Pimples often first start appearing at puberty, when hormones increase the production of oil in the skin and sometimes clog the pores.
Most susceptible are teenagers from about ages 13 to 17.
Symptoms include blocked pores that may appear flat and black on the surface, because the oil darkens when exposed to the air; blocked pores that appear white on the surface because they have closed over with dead skin cells; or swollen, yellow-white, pus-filled blisters surrounded by reddened skin.
Outbreaks of pimples on the skin can interfere with quality of life, making the person self-conscious about their appearance and causing pain and discomfort in the skin. A medical provider can help to manage the condition, sometimes through referral to a dermatologist.
Diagnosis is made through physical examination.
Treatment involves improving diet; keeping the skin, hair, washcloths, and towels very clean; and using over-the-counter acne remedies.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: pink or red facial bump, small facial lump, painful facial bump, marble sized facial lump
Symptoms that always occur with pimple: pink or red facial bump
Urgency: Self-treatment
Head and neck cancer
There are five main types of head and neck cancer, which are all named according to the part of the body where they develop: laryngeal (voice box), nasal cavity and sinus, nasopharyngeal (air passage way behind the nose), oral (mouth), and salivary gland cancers. Most of these cancers are squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), meaning they begin in the flat (squamous) cells that make up the thin surface layer of the structures in the head and neck.
Rarity: Rare
Top Symptoms: loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, hoarse voice, neck bump, ear canal pain
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Wegener's granulomatosis
Wegener's granulomatosis, more recently re-named granulomatosis with polyangiitis, is a disorder in which a dysregulated immune system causes widespread inflammation of small blood vessels throughout the body. This results in slower or impaired blood flow to your nose, sinuses, throat, lungs, and kidneys.
Symptoms can be widespread and affect various parts of the body such as the eyes and ears or respiratory system, yet usually begin more generally with fever, fatigue, a loss of appetite, and weight loss. With treatment, a full recovery is possible; however, this condition can be fatal.
Treatments include immunosuppressive medications in order to control the disease in the short- and long-term.
Rarity: Ultra rare
Top Symptoms: fatigue, loss of appetite, joint pain, shortness of breath, fever
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Relapsing polychondritis
Relapsing polychondritis is a disorder in which defects develop in cartilage and other tissues throughout the body, including the ears, nose, eyes, joints, and respiratory tract. It is considered a rare condition.
Symptoms vary widely by case, but you may experie..
Chronic allergies
Allergies are an overreaction by the immune system to something that does not bother most other people. Many people who have allergies are sensitive to pollen, but other things such as dust mites, animal dander, cockroaches, and mold can also cause a reaction.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: fatigue, irritability, trouble sleeping, runny nose, congestion
Symptoms that never occur with chronic allergies: fever, yellow-green runny nose, chills, muscle aches
Urgency: Self-treatment
Skin abscess
A skin abscess is a large pocket of pus that has formed just beneath the skin. It is caused by bacteria getting under the skin, usually through a small cut or scratch, and beginning to multiply. The body fights the invasion with white blood cells, which kill some of the infected tissue but form pus within the cavity that remains.
Symptoms include a large, red, swollen, painful lump of pus anywhere on the body beneath the skin. There may be fever, chills, and body aches from the infection.
If not treated, there is the risk of an abscess enlarging, spreading, and causing serious illness.
Diagnosis is made through physical examination.
A small abscess may heal on its own, through the body's immune system. But some will need to be drained or lanced in a medical provider's office so that the pus can be cleaned out. Antibiotics are usually prescribed.
Keeping the skin clean, and using only clean clothes and towels, will help to make sure that the abscess does not recur.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: rash with bumps or blisters, red rash, red skin bump larger than 1/2 cm in diameter, pus-filled rash, rash
Symptoms that always occur with skin abscess: rash with bumps or blisters
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Acne rosacea
Rosacea is a long-term disease that affects the skin and sometimes the eyes. It causes redness and pimples. Rosacea is most common in women and people with fair skin. It most often affects middle-aged and older adults.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: facial redness, rough skin on the face, pink or red facial bump, nose redness, raised rash
Symptoms that always occur with acne rosacea: facial redness
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Allergic contact dermatitis of the nose
Allergic contact dermatitis is a condition in which the skin becomes irritated and inflamed following physical contact with an allergen. Common products known to cause allergic dermatitis include plants, metals, soap, fragrance, and cosmetics.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: nose itch, nose redness, scabbed area of the nose
Symptoms that always occur with allergic contact dermatitis of the nose: nose redness
Urgency: Self-treatment
So... which condition is actually causing your nasal ulcer?
Free, secure, and powered by Buoy advanced AI to get you the best way to better. Learn about our technology.
Questions your doctor may ask about nasal ulcer
- Have there been changes in your voice?
- Have you lost your appetite recently?
- Have you had any changes in your weight?
- Is the skin on your face asymmetrical?
Self-diagnose with our free Buoy Assistant if you answer yes on any of these questions.
Nasal ulcer symptom checker statistics
People who have experienced nasal ulcer have also experienced:
- 4% Nose Pain
- 4% Bump In Or On The Nose
- 4% Congestion
People who have experienced nasal ulcer were most often matched with:
- 44% Blistering Disease (Pemphigus)
- 44% Head And Neck Cancer
- 11% Pimple
Source: Aggregated and anonymized results from Buoy Assistant.