Cyst on nose: 5 Detailed Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Cyst on nose can be very painful. There are many different causes of cyst on nose ranging from minor problems like a sebaceous cyst to fatal ailments like cancer which can cause cyst on nose. But, most often the causes of nose cysts are benign or not very harmful. Let us explore more about a cyst on nose, its causes, symptoms and treatments in this article.
But, before discussing a cyst on nose, do you know what exactly is a cyst? A cyst is a sac-like structure that has tissue as its boundaries and contains any type of fluid, air or material like blood, pus, etc in it. A cyst can develop anywhere on the body like the face, arms, legs, abdomen, chest, back, etc. The majority of the cysts that develop on our body or benign or they are not cancers.
Cyst on nose Causes:
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There are many different reasons why a cyst on nose can develop. Some of the important reasons why a cyst can develop on the nose include acne, sebaceous cyst, Dermoid cyst, Milia and rarely cancer. Let us know more about them below:
Acne causing cyst on nose:
Acne is a term which many of us already know about. It is a long term or chronic condition causing inflammation or swelling of the skin. The lesions of Acne can form on the face, neck, shoulder, upper arms, back and chest. The lesions of acne can include blackheads, whiteheads, cysts, nodules, spots, pimples. Cyst on nose and face is also one of the lesions of Acne.
It is one of the most common skin problems around the world most commonly occurring during puberty and also affecting young adults. Many factors play a role in triggering Acne. Hereditary factors or genetic reasons can play a role in developing Acne.
If you live in a hot humid environment you are prone to develop Acne. Using heavy oil-based make-up clogs the sebaceous gland opening and can trigger Acne. If you are stressed or anxious for long periods, it can also cause acne breakouts.
Our hormones also play a role in causing Acne. We are more prone to develop Acne during certain parts of the Menstrual cycle due to hormonal fluctuations or changes.
There are oil-producing glands or sebaceous glands under our skin. Our skin has skin pores to let out sweat and waste substances from the body, as skin is also an important organ of the excretion of waste products from the body.
The sebaceous glands are connected to the skin pores through hair follicles. Sebaceous glands produce an oily substance called sebum. This sebum is passed from sebaceous glands to the skin pores through hair follicles. Sebum also carries dead skin cells along with it to the skin surface.
If due to any reason the follicle is blocked, the dead skin cells and sebum get accumulated below the follicle and form pimples or Acne. These pimples then attract bacteria called Propionibacterium Acnes which further causes infection, inflammation or redness in the pimples.
Sebaceous cyst on nose:
As we have already discussed we have sebaceous glands under our skin that produce oily or greasy material called Sebum. When the outflow of this sebum to the skin surface is blocked by any reason, the sebum accumulates below the skin and forms a cyst-like structure called Sebaceous cyst.
These Sebaceous cysts are not cancerous. They can develop on the face, shoulders, neck, back and chest. They gradually increase in size while accumulating sebum and can become quite painful. These Sebaceous cysts can also form a cyst on nose. They contain keratinous material or keratin plugs inside them.
The outflow of the Sebaceous gland can be blocked due to any injury of the skin, any surgery is done on that area, Acne formation, etc. They can be diagnosed by your physician after performing a physical exam. But sometimes your Physician might ask you to do an Ultrasound scan or biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.
Dermoid cyst on nose:
Dermoid cysts generally form when you are growing as a baby in your mother’s womb or uterus. These Dermoid cysts are present at the time of birth. They slowly grow in size after your birth. They can develop inside the ovaries called an ovarian dermoid cyst. They can form inside the spinal cord called Spinal dermoid cysts. They can form near or around the Eye called periorbital Dermoid cysts.
They can also form on different body parts and can also form a cyst on nose. Dermoid cysts contain hair, skin cells and sebaceous glands and sweat glands. The Dermoid cysts inside the body are diagnosed through imaging modalities like MRI and CT scans. They need to be removed surgically.
Cyst on nose caused by cancer:
In some rare cases, the cyst on nose can be due to cancer in the nasal cavity or the air passages or sinuses around the nose. If the cyst on nose is caused by these cancers, they can be accompanied by other symptoms like bleeding from nose, mucus discharge from nose, the stuffy feeling of nose, formation of lumps in and around the face, swollen lymph nodes, etc.
Milia causing cyst on nose:
Milia cysts are generally found on the nose, lips, eyelids and cheeks. They are seen in newborns mostly. But, they can be seen in people of all age groups and ethnicities. They are white coloured lesions or bumps appearing on the face. They don’t cause any symptoms like pain or itching. But, they can cause an uncomfortable feeling in some people.
Cyst on nose Symptoms:
When you have a Cyst on nose, you can experience pain based on the type of cyst and its size. It can become infected and become red and painful due to the development of inflammatory changes around the cyst.
In some people cyst on nose can have itching and dryness of the skin around it. If the cyst on nose is caused by cancer it can cause lumps on face and nearby areas, and it can be associated with lymph node swelling. The appearance of cyst on nose even due to benign causes non-cancerous causes can make people feel uncomfortable or cosmetically conscious.
Let us also read about cyst on eyeball in the following article:
Cyst on eyeball-What is it, 13 Causes, 6 Symptoms, and 6 Treatments
How to get rid of cyst on nose / Cyst on nose Treatment:
The Treatment of a cyst on nose depends on the cause for its development whether it’s due to Acne or Sebaceous cyst or a Dermoid cyst or Milia or cancer, etc.
If your cyst on the nose is being caused by Acne, your doctor prescribes oral antibiotics like Erythromycin and Tetracycline to control the infection. They might give you Topical antibiotic creams like Clindamycin or Topical Retinoid creams to curb the infection. If the cyst is very big and painful, your dermatologist might inject a diluted steroid solution into it to reduce the inflammation or swelling.
If your cyst on nose is caused by a Sebaceous cyst, then it might need to be removed surgically by excision or drained surgically. Surgical removal or excision helps in the complete removal of the cyst. After the removal of the cyst, you might be given antibiotic medicines to avoid infections.
If the cyst on nose is caused by a Dermoid cyst, then they need to be removed or excised surgically. If they are present inside the body, then general anaesthesia is given before excising them.
If the cyst on nose is caused by Milia, then mostly they disappear on their own after some months. But, in some people, they can persist. In such cases, they need to be removed by excision using needles or by laser therapy, cryotherapy, etc.
If a cyst on nose is caused by cancer of paranasal sinuses or nasal cavity, then it needs to be treated by surgical excision or chemotherapy or radiotherapy based on the treating Physicians advice.
I hope you have understood all the different causes of cysts on nose, their symptoms and treatments as well. Please do comment with your views and suggestions about the article.
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