Terrible burning in my nostrils after exercising... HALP!

magneticcat

Hi all,
I started MFP ~4 years ago. This year I reached my goal weight and have been stable (hovering around that weight) for several months. Now I'm trying to maintain and improve my cardiovascular fitness and muscle tone. I'm asking the following question here because I know that there are others like me out there, who never used to exercise, but have started in a bid to 'get healthy'. I'm hoping there is someone out there who has had the following experience, and can help me out.

This afternoon I went for a run. I live in the south of Australia and the weather is hot and dry. I breathe in deeply through my nose and out through my mouth when I run/jog, otherwise I tend to get tooth pain (if sharp rush of air into my mouth hits my receding gums/the sensitive part of my teeth.) I started the 'Couch to 5k' challenge/app 2 weeks ago. Prior to that, my exercise was all indoors at a gym.

Today as I was running, I pushed myself hard, and was breathing in very sharply, deeply and rapidly through my nose. My nostrils were hurting deep inside as I did this - they felt completely dry and burning - but I persevered. I figured it would settle once my breathing slowed down afterwards. Usually when I run, my nose runs too (haha...) But today, it was as dry as a bone.

When I got home, my nasal passages were stinging and burning terribly. I decided to wet them inside with a damp tissue (just clean water). I did this, and then a few moments later began to have a sneezing fit. I sneezed repeatedly for about 10 minutes and my nose began to run like a tap. I then sprayed some nasal decongestant spray (which I very rarely use) and some nasal steroid spray (which I use regularly in spring for pollen allergies) into my nose. This provided no relief from the pain. My nose continued to run, but the sneezing did stop.

Now, about 4-5 hours later, my nostrils still burn - but only when I breathe in through my nose. Breathing out is fine, but breathing in is painful and irritating - it makes my nose sting, tingle and tickle internally excruciatingly deep inside, and I often sneeze. The only relief I have been able to get has been from breathing through my mouth, and trying not to use my nose at all. I have tried using an earbud/Q-tip doused in steroid and nasal decongestant to directly touch the sore spots deep inside my nose, but this does not help. I tried a hot steamy shower - that didn't help. I tried using a balm/salve applied directly to the sore spots (again using a Q-tip) and that helped very briefly, but then I felt the salve drip off and the pain and irritation returned.

Has anyone ever had this before? I've been googling it and now feel terrified, having read about people who get this suddenly and then have it for years...

I'm a senior medical student, so I do have an idea of what is happening inside my nose, but apart from moving onto some heavy analgesia, I'm at a loss as to what to do next - I've exhausted all of my options. The pain/irritation is driving me to distraction. I'm really looking to see if anyone else has experienced this or heard of it before? I'm freaking out a bit - I'm so busy at the moment, it's the worst timing... Plus, how will I run again in a couple of days?! Argh!

Thanks in advance!!

ktno1

Possibly hayfever? Sounds silly but at this time of year I can't run outside at all because of the pain I get in my airways.

magneticcat

Thanks for your reply
Yeah I'm not sure - I do get pretty severe hayfever, but this just feels a bit different... I'm sorry to hear you suffer outside when exercising, too - it's so annoying, I love being outdoors when working out but it just seems to serve up so many more obstacles than the gym!!

Cherimoose

Have you tried wearing a nasal strip? It expands the nostrils, which reduces the speed at which air flows through. Here in the States, they're sold as Breathe-Right strips.. although stores have generic versions as well.

If that doesn't work, try putting maximum-strength Benzocaine gel on your gums. ;-)

3dogsrunning

I've had this before. I cannot breathe through my nose while running because of it. I don't know what causes it or how to avoid it other than not breathing through my nose. When I did have it, I bought a saline nasal spray to help relieve some of the irritation.

Sorry, not much help but I'm interested in answers.

magneticcat

Thanks so much for your replies. I'm interested to look into the nasal strips! And not a bad idea with numbing the gums - as long as I didn't get a weird numb throat from it too haha! Thanks for the suggestions!

Also I'm interested to hear that I'm not the only one who has had this. I did think about buying some saline spray - might stock up in case it happens again!

An update to my own situation: the pain and irritation was so bad that night that I couldn't sleep. My boyfriend's mother lent me some haemorrhoid cream that is zinc oxide + lignocaine... I stuffed that up my nose, very deeply (using a Q-tip) and then ripped a cotton makeup pad in two and placed a half in each nostril (so that each was completely blocked). This meant I then breathed through my mouth for the entire night, and I was able to get to sleep (although my mouth was SO dry when I woke up...)

The pain and irritation has gradually settled over the past few days. It is now almost completely gone - just a minor tickle. But I am learning to breathe more gently through my nose, and use my mouth more.

I went for a run this morning and breathed in through my mouth, and out through my nose (the opposite of what I usually do!) and this helped. Although it was an odd sensation. This will be my new exercise breathing technique, I guess!