Treatment for Nose Boils!

(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, this is my personal blog and this is my personal experience. Please do not treat yourself at home, please visit a real doctor)

Now, I know this really isn't a fun topic to blog about, but after surviving a very painful and scary week with onee, I realised the least I can do to give back to society is write about it :) This is a graphically explicit post, so reader discretion is advised. But yes, it could save your life.

So, what's a nose boil? It's what you get when your friendly nasal bacteria (you'll never meet them in person, but just in case you do, address them as Staphylococcus aureus) decide to infect a small cut, abrasion, or hell, even the hair follicle in your pretty nose! What you then get is a small irritating swelling that quickly grows into an ugly, big fat boil that affects and disfigures your nose, lips and cheeks to a point where your cat runs away on seeing you approach her, even if you have fish for dinner. And if the humiliation were not enough, you have the pain and the fever to contend with.

Now here's where it gets scary. And I am serious. The nasal cavity and face is where blood vessels come on their way to your brain, and any infection on your face or in your nasal cavity can quickly spread to your brain, and the rest of your body, putting you into possibly fatal septic shock.

So, lesson number one, and I am super serious here: IF YOU GET A BOIL IN YOUR NOSE, DO NOT IGNORE IT, RUSH TO YOUR DOCTOR.

The doctor will most probably put you on a dose of anti-biotics, and I would recommend you request a strong dose (like Augmentin 650), accompanied with the usual anti-acidity tablets (like Pan - D) and some pain killer/anti-swelling tablets (like Enzoflam). Also, insist on a topical cream (like T-bact), which will help in controlling further infections and help break the boil more effectively.

If the boil is big and not showing signs of subsiding within 1-2 days, go to a surgeon and get it surgically drained.

Now, what the doctor did not tell me, and I would like to share with you is this:

1) Be prepared to suffer for a week or so, at least. But again, it's important to go to the doctor AS SOON AS YOU HAVE THE FIRST INDICATION OF A BOIL IN YOUR NOSE. It can be fatal if allowed to fester.
2) Using a warm water press (simply douse a clean hanky in hot water and use) provides great relief from the pain and swelling, and helps bring the boil to breaking point.
3) DO NOT try and squeeze, press or prick the boil - the infection can spread further inside your body instead of getting out, and that can kill you.
4) After the boil starts to soften, you will start feeling all the liquid built up in your upper lip region sloshing around. It's painful and scary, but it's the good news - you are ready to deliver your baby!
5) Avoid all tendencies to pick, squeeze, prick or coax! It will happen when it has to happen. Wait for the moment when global warming and terrorism will seem like problems once again!

And until you have your first nose boil, happy picking!