Home Blog

Do you feel that your entire body is conspiring against you during your pregnancy and your nose has joined in? Blame it on the hormones. Some women may not experience most of these discomforts while most may have almost all of the unfavorable symptoms. Hormonal changes are mainly the culprits for most of your pregnancy woes. While your body is making itself as welcoming and comfortable for your new baby, it does bring with it some unwelcoming but sometimes unavoidable changes for you.

One of the conditions that could cause discomfort during pregnancy is a dry nose. A woman might face dry nasal passages during pregnancy. This might also be accompanied with nosebleeds. The causes could be due to increased blood flow in the body or due to the drastic hormonal changes occurring in preparation for the baby. A dry nose can be quite uncomfortable and mostly annoying. And it may not be just the inner nasal passages that are dry, be prepared for the outer parts of the nose to show signs of dryness as well. In the case of dryness, other body parts can be moisturized, but unfortunately the same cannot be done for the inner parts of your nose. Dryness with nosebleeds may not be painful but it can prove to be very uncomfortable.

Our noses have been designed to be moist, with the help of constant mucus creation or accumulation. So what can one do, when the nose does not create fluids to keep it from going dry? If your nose is extremely dry, with nosebleeds and is interfering with your day to day activities, you should consult your doctor who can prescribe something for relief. There are home remedies as well to help alleviate the discomfort of a dry nose, these are:

• Blow your nose gently. Harsh elimination of excess mucus could result in the dry skin in the nose getting inflamed or tearing.
• If you have a nosebleed, squeeze your nose between your thumb and forefinger for a minute or two.
• Use a cool mist humidifier, this can help to humidify the dry air around and avoid shrinkage of the already dry skin in your nose.
• Inhalation of steam can provide your nose with moisture. The steam condenses the nasal passages and works to hydrate the inner nasal cavity. But make sure the temperature of the steam isn’t too high as it could aggravate the situation by breaking some already vulnerable capillaries.
• Sneezing is also a good option as it helps release mucus into the nasal cavity and providing the much needed moisture. To induce sneezing, you can grind some black peppercorns coarsely and inhale them.
• Tearing up. Tears can help keep your nose hydrated. Inducing tears can stimulate the eyes to create tears that drain through a small opening at the end of the eyes and into the nasal canal. It is pretty much the reason that people tend to have a stuffy nose when they cry. The best way to stimulate tear glands is to cut an onion.
• Do not use inhalers or nasal sprays without your doctor’s consent.
• For immediate relief from a dry nose, apply a warm or hot compress to the nose. Make sure it isn’t burning hot though.
• Drink plenty of fluids; this should be done in any case when pregnant. Drink at least 8 ounce glasses of non-caffeinated non-carbonated beverages every day. Water is the best source of hydration though, and can help in keeping your nasal membranes moist.
• Have a hot shower; the steam from it can help to provide relief to your dry nose.