Nose numbness, just like numbness in any other part of body is the result of damage to the nerve supplying nasal tissue. Nasal numbness can be felt in one particular region of the nose or it can be all over the nose. Nasal numbness can make your nose feel cold and clammy.
It can be accompanied with many other concomitant symptoms such as tingling sensation, a feeling of pins and needle etc. In certain conditions, the numbness may not restrict itself to the nose; it can extend to other parts of the face as well.
Numbness And Tingling In Nose
Tingling, numbness, burning sensation is generally the symptom when your sensory nerve gets damaged due to a disease or an injury. Sensory nerve is the nerve that supplies the skin. In nasal tingling, there is sensation of pins and needles all over the nasal skin or on certain portion of the nose; it is also termed as paresthesia.
In the beginning the symptoms may begin as paresthesia and later on there may be numbness all over the nose.
Following are some of the reasons for nose numbness and tingling: fractured nose, cold weather, migraine headache, excessive consumption of tea and coffee due to its caffeine content, side effects of any drugs, substance abuse, after radiation for face and neck area etc.
Causes Of Numbness In The Nose
- Cancer of nasal cavity and para nasal sinuses: numbness in the nose and other parts of the face can be a symptom of cancer in the nasal cavity or in the para nasal sinuses. Other accompanying symptoms include blockage of nose, growth in the nose or in the para nasal sinuses, pain in other parts of the face.
- Restructuring the shape of the nose, also known as Rhinoplasty can cause numbness in the nose for a long duration of time. Breathing difficulty, discoloration of nose, nasal bleeding and pain are other associated side effects after Rhinoplasty.
- Deviated nasal septum repair: nasal septum is the partition between the two nostrils. In many individuals the septum is not properly placed, and the patient has stuffy nose all the time, this needs correction. After correcting through an operation, there may be a feeling of numbness on the tip of the nose for few months.
- Frostbite: the exposed nose is vulnerable for frostbite.
- An injury to the nose due to a blunt force or due to nose piercing.
Treatment For Nose Numbness
The treatment depends on the underlying condition as nose numbness can be one of its symptoms.
Before starting the treatment, doctor will advise the patient to perform certain test to determine the cause, if it is clinically difficult to recognize the disease. X-ray, MRI may be necessary in certain conditions such as cancer of the para nasal sinuses or nasal cavity.
- If the reason is cancer of the nasal cavity, the patient may need surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.
- If the cause is simply sinusitis, then stem inhalation is the best home remedy that liquefies the collected mucus and helps in draining.
- In certain conditions such as trauma to the nose, patient may need nasal cauterization to stop bleeding.
- Fracture of the nose requires immediate correction. Over a period of time numbness will decrease and the patient may feel the sensation on the nose.
- Eating vegetables and fruit ensures vitamins and minerals to the body. They are also beneficial in improving the numb sensation on the nose.