Burning Nose Sensation: Allergic Rhinitis And 5 Other Causes

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What Causes a Burning Sensation in Your Nose?

Medically reviewed by Nicole Leigh Aaronson, MD, MBA, CPE, FACS, FAAP — Written by Stephanie Watson — Updated on September 4, 2024

Weather changes
Allergic rhinitis
Nasal infection
Medications
Irritants
See your doctor

A burning sensation in your nostrils often results from irritation of your nasal passages. Treatment can depend on the specific cause. It may include avoiding triggers and adding moisture to the air.

Depending on the time of year, a burning sensation in your nose could be due to dryness in the air or allergic rhinitis. Infections, chemical irritants, and medications like nasal spray can also irritate the sensitive lining of your nose.

Read on to learn what might be causing the burning sensation in your nose and how to treat it.

Weather changes

In many places, during the winter months, the air outside is much drier than it is in the summertime. Indoor heating systems add to the problem by pouring out hot, dry air.

The dryness in the air makes moisture in your body quickly evaporate. That’s why your hands and lips crack, and your mouth feels parched during the cold months.

Winter air can also take moisture away from the mucous membranes inside your nose, leaving your nose dry and irritated. Raw nasal passages are why some people get frequent nosebleeds during the winter.

What you can do

One way to add moisture to the air is to install a humidifier in your house or turn on a cool-mist vaporizer, especially when you sleep. Just be sure to keep the overall humidity in your house set below 50%. Any higher and you can encourage the growth of mold, which can also irritate your sensitive nose.

You can also use an over-the-counter (OTC) saline nasal spray to replenish parched nasal passages. When you go outside, you may choose to cover your nose with a scarf to prevent any remaining moisture in your nose from drying up.

Allergic rhinitis

Better known as hay fever, allergic rhinitis is the itchy, irritated nose, sneezing, and stuffiness you get after being exposed to an allergy trigger.

When mold, dust, or pet dander makes its way into your nose, your body releases chemicals like histamine, which sets off the allergic reaction.

This reaction irritates your nasal passages and causes symptoms like:

itchy nose, mouth, eyes, throat, or skin
sneezing
cough
swollen eyelids

Between 40 and 60 million Americans have allergic rhinitis. In some people, it pops up seasonally. But for others, it’s a year-round condition.

What you can do

One of the most effective ways to deal with allergies is to avoid exposure to your triggers.

To do this:

Keep your windows closed with the air conditioner turned on during peak allergy season. If you have to garden or mow the lawn, wear a mask to keep pollen out of your nose.
Wash your bedding in hot water and vacuum your rugs and upholstery. Put a dust-mite-proof cover on your bed to keep these tiny bugs away.
Keep pets out of your bedroom. Wash your hands after you touch them — especially before touching your nose.

You can also ask your doctor about trying one or more of these nasal allergy treatments:

Nasal antihistamine spray can help counter the effects of the allergic reaction.
Nasal decongestant and steroid sprays help bring down swelling in your nose.
Nasal saline spray or irrigation (like a neti pot) can remove any dried-up crust from inside your nose.

Nasal decongestants can be used in the short term only (no more than 3 days). This is to avoid addiction and rebound potential. Nasal steroid sprays also have the side effect of causing dryness.

Nasal infection

A sinus infection (sinusitis) can feel a lot like a cold. Both conditions have symptoms like a stuffy nose, headache, and runny nose.

Sinus infections can be bacterial, viral, or fungal. The same viruses that cause a cold can cause a sinus infection.

When you have a sinus infection, mucus becomes stuck in the air-filled spaces behind your nose, forehead, and cheeks. Bacteria can grow in the trapped mucus, causing an infection.

You’ll feel the pain and pressure of a sinus infection in the bridge of your nose, as well as behind your cheeks and forehead.

Other symptoms include:

green discharge from your nose
postnasal drip
stuffed nose
headache
fever
sore throat
coughing
fatigue
bad breath

What you can do

If you’ve had symptoms of a sinus infection and they’ve lasted for more than a week, it’s best to contact your doctor.

If your doctor confirms that you have a bacterial infection, they may prescribe antibiotics to kill the bacteria. Antibiotics won’t work on viral conditions like the common cold.

Nasal decongestants, antihistamines, and steroid sprays can help shrink swollen nasal passages. You can also use a saline wash daily to rinse out any crust that’s formed inside your nostrils.

Medications

Medications like antihistamines and decongestants can treat the causes of a burning nose. But if you use them too much, these drugs can dry out your nose and worsen this symptom.

What you can do

It’s recommended to follow the package directions or ask for your doctor’s advice when using antihistamines and decongestants. Only take them for as long as needed to manage your sinus symptoms.

Do not take nasal decongestants for more than 3 days at a time. Using them for too long can cause rebound congestion. Using a saline solution in between decongestant uses can help as well.

5. Smoke and other irritants

Because you breathe in through your nose and mouth, these organs are most vulnerable to injury from toxins in the air. Chemicals and pollution can contribute to rhinitis, sinusitis, and other conditions that cause a burning nose.

Some of the toxins that can dry out and irritate your nasal passages include:

tobacco smoke
industrial chemicals like formaldehyde
chemicals found in home cleaning products, such as windshield wiper fluid, bleach, and window and glass cleaners
gases like chlorine, hydrogen chloride, or ammonia
dust

What you can do

To prevent nasal irritation from chemical products, avoid being around them whenever possible. If you have to work with these products or use them at home, do so in a well-ventilated area with the windows or doors open. It’s best to also wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth.

When to see your doctor

You can usually manage your nasal symptoms at home. But if your symptoms don’t go away after a week or more, you may want to make an appointment to see your doctor.

Contact your doctor right away for more serious symptoms like these:

high fever
trouble breathing
tightness of the throat
hives
dizziness
fainting
fast heartbeat
blood in your nasal discharge

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Allergic rhinitis. (2022). https://familydoctor.org/condition/allergic-rhinitis/
Benefits of humidifiers. (n.d.). https://www.rush.edu/news/benefits-humidifiers
Hay fever. (2020). https://acaai.org/allergies/allergic-conditions/hay-fever/
Shusterman D. (2010). The effects of air pollutants and irritants on the upper airway. https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1513/pats.201003-027RN
Sinus infection. (n.d.). https://acaai.org/allergies/allergic-conditions/sinus-infection/
Sinus infection basics. (2024).https://www.cdc.gov/sinus-infection/about/

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Medically reviewed by Nicole Leigh Aaronson, MD, MBA, CPE, FACS, FAAP — Written by Stephanie Watson — Updated on September 4, 2024

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