How to Heal Hole in Nose from Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine has many negative side effects, one of which is a perforated nose! Even if it’s sporadic, people who snort cocaine are at risk of nasal problems, including infection, collapse, and a perforated septum.
The most drastic way to heal a perforated septum is through reconstructive surgery. However, if the issue doesn’t affect normal respiratory functions, you might just apply topical treatments to promote healthy healing.
In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about perforated septums and how to heal a hole in the nose from coke.
What Is Cocaine Nose?
Cocaine nose is caused by a low blood supply to the tissue located in the septum, which is the part that separates the nostrils.
Unfortunately, one of the most common side effects of abusing cocaine is a puncture inside the nasal cavity, otherwise known as septal perforation.
Snorting, in particular, can result in numerous nasal issues. Not only does the powdered cocaine come into close contact with the nasal tissue, but this tissue is highly vascular.
This means that snorting even a tiny bit of cocaine will likely damage the inner lining of the nose.
How Cocaine Use Affects the Nose
The reason cocaine causes septal perforation is that it cuts off the blood supply to the nasal tissue because it’s a potent vasoconstrictor. So, your nose goes from having a high blood supply from all the small vessels surrounding it to almost none.
Hence, nose tissue will weaken and be more susceptible to injuries due to reduced circulation. Moreover, this insufficient supply of blood might lead to the death of some parts of the nasal tissue.
Over time, the dead tissue will open up, causing a hole. In addition, the septum might even collapse and deviate to one side, plugging one of the nostrils.
How to Heal Cocaine Nose
Unfortunately, a hole in the nose won’t heal on its own. After all, there likely isn’t any healthy tissue to heal in the first place. Also, if the damage covers a large area. there’s no way to treat cocaine nose without a graft.
On the other hand, if the hole is small, it’s less likely to cause functional problems. So, you’ll only need to try any of the topical treatments mentioned below to prevent further damage.
It’s worth mentioning that if you leave cocaine nose untreated, it might result in the following:
- Difficulty breathing
- Pain
- Foul smell
- Increased risk of infection
- Chronic rhinosinusitis
For this reason, it’s crucial to heal the perforated septum by using any of the following methods:
Topical Treatment
The first step in healing a hole in the nose is a topical treatment. While these superficial measures won’t completely treat cocaine nose, they’ll prevent its progression and reduce the risk of other infections.
Even if you get surgery to treat the perforated septum, you’ll still need to regularly clean your nose and apply ointments to your nose to promote healing.
The topical treatments include the following:
Sinus Flush
A sinus flush can be uncomfortable. However, it can significantly improve the cocaine nose.
That’s because flushing removes any excess cocaine that might be left after snorting. It’s also a sure way to remove dirt, dust, pathogens, and any dead tissue from the perforated area.
You can simply do a sinus flush at home by following these steps:
- First, get an over-the-counter saline solution from your local pharmacy.
- You can also make your own solution at home by mixing warm, sterile water and salt.
- Next, stand over the sink and tilt your head to one side.
- Use a syringe or a squeeze bottle to pour the saline solution up one nostril.
- Hold the saline solution for five seconds while breathing through your mouth.
- Then allow the solution to pour out of the other nostril into the drain.
- Repeat the steps once or twice, alternating nostrils.
- Lastly, gently blow your nose to clear out any mucus.
Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly, or Vaseline, is an ideal topical treatment. It locks in moisture and protects the skin from further injury.
Moreover, petroleum jelly can significantly soothe a perforated septum. This reduces inflammation and pain while promoting healthy healing of the hole.
That said, this ointment has been linked to certain types of pneumonia. That’s why you should be careful when applying petroleum jelly to your nose.
Using the tip of your finger, lightly apply a small amount of Vaseline just outside your nose. You might also apply a small amount just inside your nose. However, avoid going deeper or applying the ointment directly to the septum.
Vitamin E
If you don’t have petroleum jelly on hand, vitamin E might be the next best thing. This vitamin is rich in antioxidants which are vital for healthy skin and reducing inflammations.
The reason is that they prevent cellular degeneration and damage from free radicals. Simply put, antioxidants can significantly slow down the death of the nasal tissue!
Several studies show that vitamin E can boost wound healing and protect against resistant strains of bacteria.
Antibiotic Ointments
Antibiotics are a must when it comes to treating cocaine nose. That’s because an infection can reduce healing and might even further damage the nasal tissue.
Then, as the blood supply decreases, so does the ability to fight pathogens. Naturally, you’ll need to apply an antibiotic to fight and reduce the buildup of bacteria in the nasal passage.
In this case, Neosporin would be ideal, as it’s a broad-spectrum topical antibiotic that can treat cuts in the nose. You can also apply it after nasal surgery.
Surgical Intervention
If the hole in the nose causes major obstruction, the most effective course of action would be reconstructive surgery to close the hole by rearranging the nasal tissue.
In severe cases, a skin graft might be used to close the hole. Then, after one to two months, the perforation will have healed completely.
Conclusion
So, how to heal a hole in the nose from coke use?
Cocaine severely limits the blood supply to the nasal tissue, leading to cell death and even holes. Hence, a perforated septum is one of the most common adverse effects of snorting coke.
If the hole is small enough, doing sinus flushes and applying healing ointments should be sufficient to contain the damage.
However, if the perforated septum obstructs breathing, or results in a nasal deformity, then surgical intervention might be necessary. In this case, nasal reconstructive surgery can close the hole.
