Q Impetigo keeps appearing around the nose — is it related to rhinitis?
A When you frequently wipe or touch around the nose due to rhinitis, the mucosa and skin become damaged, making it easy for bacteria to enter. Managing the rhinitis together to reduce irritation around the nose also lowers the frequency of impetigo recurrence.
Detailed Answer
The area around the nose (the nostril openings, under the nose, around the upper lip) is one of the most common sites for impetigo. With rhinitis, frequently wiping mucus causes friction that peels the skin and weakens the mucosa, making it much easier for Staphylococcus aureus or streptococcus to invade. In addition, if Staphylococcus aureus is carried inside the nose, frequently touching the nose becomes a route by which bacteria are transferred to the skin via the hands. Stabilizing the rhinitis and managing it so the nose is not wiped frequently can reduce the frequency of recurrent impetigo around the nose.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang, when impetigo recurs around the nose, we see it as a state in which both the nasal and skin immunity have weakened due to spleen-stomach weakness and lung-qi insufficiency. We address rhinitis and impetigo together, strengthening the lung and spleen-stomach to simultaneously raise the defenses of the nasal mucosa and skin. When the environment around the nose stabilizes, impetigo recurrence often naturally decreases as well.
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