A dry nose can be just as uncomfortable as a runny nose. In fact, when the tissues in the nostril dry out, they can crack and cause pain and bleeding. The nostrils become sensitive to simple breathing, and unlike with a runny nose, you can't solve the problem with a tissue.
Anatomy
In an average adult, up to 20,000 liters of air pass through the nostrils each day. The nose is the first line of defense against disease, filtering particulate matter and germs out of the air you breathe before it can reach the lungs and do real damage. The nose is also an air warmer and humidifier, adding moisture to dry air and warming it to body temperature before it's passed on to the lungs. A dry nose diminishes the efficiency of all of these processes, and it can even dramatically alter your sense of smell.
Symptoms
Dry tissue inside the nostril is sensitive to the rush of air from normal breathing, so tenderness inside the nostril is common. If the nasal passages remain dry, the surface of the skin can crack, revealing tiny blood vessels and allowing them to bleed through the surface.
Causes
The most common cause of a dry nose is a lack of humidity in the air you breathe. The culprit in that case is usually stale, conditioned air like the air often found in an office building or an airplane. Some medications are also to blame including anti-depressants, some blood-pressure medication and diuretics. If your nose is dry and congested, be careful with over-the-counter nasal decongestants. Overuse of such products can actually make the problem worse.
Remedies
A saline flush, administered with a neti pot or in a convenient nasal spray, is the easiest and most effective remedy. A neti pot is like a teapot with a curved spout. To use it, turn your head sideways and empty the contents of the pot into one nostril and let it flow through the other. Neti pots take a little practice. Sprays are handy because you can take them with you, and unlike decongestant sprays, you can use them as needed all day long.
Prevention
If you have a recurring dry nose, you can try sleeping with a humidifier in the bedroom. If you wake with sore throat or you have nosebleeds at night, the air quality in your home may be the problem. A humidifier adds moisture to the air you breathe, and you can even add medicine to most models and the unit will act as a vaporizer.
Warnings
Petroleum jelly can moisten the tissue just inside the nose and soothe cracked skin, but there is a slight possibility of a condition called lipoid pneumonia if you choose this remedy. When you put a product in your nose, some of it will drain down the throat and enter the stomach where the stomach acid can handle it. A very small portion may, however, go down the wind pipe where there is no such mechanism. Lipoids, or oil-based products like petroleum jelly, can collect at the entrance to the lungs and cause coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath.
