A burning sensation in your nose is usually caused by irritation of the nasal lining. The most common triggers are dry or cold air, allergies, a cold or sinus infection, overuse of nasal sprays, and chemical irritants like smoke, cleaning products or strong perfume. Most of the time it settles once the trigger is gone and the lining has time to recover.

If the burning keeps coming back, sits at the back of your nose where it meets your throat, and comes with a burning or irritated throat, think about reflux. In laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), small amounts of stomach contents can reach the area behind the nose and irritate it, often after meals or when you’re lying down, and usually without heartburn.

To stop it, moisten the nose with saline, run a humidifier, avoid irritants and stop using decongestant sprays after a few days. If reflux is the cause, eating earlier and raising the head of your bed help most. Get medical help if the burning comes with a constant burning smell, clear fluid dripping after a head injury, or bloody discharge from one side.

Key Takeaways

Nose burning is a nerve signal from the trigeminal nerve, which responds to acid, dryness, cold and chemicals.
Dry air, allergies, colds, sinus infections and irritants are the most common causes.
Decongestant sprays used for more than 5 days in a row can cause rebound congestion and a dry, burning nose.
A burning nose and throat together is one of the clearest signs that reflux may be involved.
Reflux can reach the nasopharynx, the space behind the nose, especially when lying down, burping or bringing food back up.
Studies have found reflux reaching the throat more often in people with chronic sinus problems, although the evidence isn’t settled.
Saline rinses, humidity and avoiding triggers relieve most nose burning. Reflux-related burning needs the reflux treated.
A persistent burning smell, clear watery drip after a head injury, or one-sided bloody discharge should be checked by a doctor.

Why Your Nose Burns

The inside of your nose is lined with a thin, moist membrane full of nerve endings from the trigeminal nerve. This nerve is your nose’s alarm system. It doesn’t detect smells. It detects threats: acid, heat, cold, dryness and chemicals. When it fires, you feel stinging, burning or tingling, and your nose often runs or you sneeze to flush out whatever triggered it.

The nasal lining is also protected by a layer of mucus that traps particles and keeps the tissue moist. Anything that dries out or strips away that layer leaves the nerve endings exposed, and they become much easier to set off. That’s why so many causes of nose burning come back to two things: something irritating the lining, or the lining drying out.

Knowing this makes the causes easier to sort through. Ask yourself what is reaching your nose, and whether the lining is dry, inflamed or both.

Common Causes of a Burning Sensation in Your Nose

1. Dry or cold air

Heating in winter, air conditioning, air travel and cold outdoor air all pull moisture out of the nasal lining. Your nose works hard to warm and humidify every breath, and when the air is very dry it can’t keep up. The result is a dry, tight, burning nose, often with crusting and the occasional nosebleed. It’s usually worst in the morning after a night in a heated bedroom.

2. Allergies

When you breathe in pollen, dust mites, pet dander or mold, your immune system releases histamine and other chemicals in the nasal lining. That causes itching, sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, and for many people a burning or stinging feeling. It’s usually seasonal or linked to a specific trigger, and it often comes with itchy, watery eyes.

3. Colds, flu and COVID

A burning or raw feeling in the nose is often the first sign of a cold. The virus inflames the lining, and frequent nose-blowing and wiping irritate the skin around the nostrils too. It usually settles within a week to 10 days.

4. Sinus infection

Sinusitis causes a burning or pressure feeling in the nose and face, with a blocked nose, thick discolored mucus, and pain around the cheeks, eyes or forehead that gets worse when you bend forward. Most sinus infections are viral and clear up by themselves. Symptoms lasting more than 10 days, or getting worse after starting to improve, may need a doctor.

5. Nasal sprays

Decongestant sprays like oxymetazoline and xylometazoline shrink swollen blood vessels in the nose and work quickly. But if you use them for too long, the lining swells back up as each dose wears off, so you use more. This rebound congestion can lead to rhinitis medicamentosa, a chronic irritated, dry, burning nose. The UK medicines regulator now advises not using these sprays for more than 5 days in a row [MHRA, Drug Safety Update, 2026].

Steroid nasal sprays can also cause stinging, dryness and nosebleeds, especially if you aim them at the middle wall of the nose. Pointing the nozzle slightly outward, toward the ear on the same side, helps.

6. Irritants and chemicals

Smoke, vaping, chlorine from swimming pools, bleach and other cleaning products, paint fumes, strong perfumes and air pollution all stimulate the trigeminal nerve directly. If your nose burns in a particular place, like the pool, the office or after cleaning, the trigger is often obvious.

7. Spicy food

Chili, horseradish, wasabi and mustard can all make the nose burn and run within minutes. This is a nerve reflex called gustatory rhinitis: strong flavors set off nerves that make the nose produce watery mucus, and the reflex could be blocked with an anticholinergic drug in early research [Raphael et al., Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 1989]. Spicy food is a reflux trigger as well, so it can cause nose burning in two different ways. See spicy food and acid reflux.

8. After vomiting

If you’ve ever been sick and felt your nose burn afterward, you’ve felt stomach acid reaching the nose. During vomiting, stomach contents are forced up hard enough to get into the space behind the nose. That burning can last for hours. It’s the most obvious version of something that happens far more quietly in reflux.

Can Acid Reflux Cause a Burning Sensation in Your Nose?

Yes, it can, and this is the cause almost nobody writing about nose burning mentions. It matters because the usual advice for a burning nose (antihistamines, decongestants, nasal sprays) won’t touch it.

How reflux reaches the nose

Your nose and mouth both open into the same tube at the back of the throat, called the pharynx. The top section, behind your nose, is the nasopharynx. When you swallow, your soft palate lifts and seals it off so food doesn’t go up into your nose. But that seal isn’t there all the time.

In laryngopharyngeal reflux, stomach contents travel up the esophagus, past the upper sphincter at the top, and into the throat. Most of the damage happens around the voice box, but some refluxed material can travel higher, into the nasopharynx. That’s most likely when:

You’re lying flat, so gravity isn’t holding anything down
You burp, bring food back up or have a regurgitation episode
You cough, retch or strain while reflux is happening
Reflux happens at night, when you swallow far less and clearing is slow

The lining of the nasopharynx has no real defense against acid and pepsin. Even small amounts irritate it, and you feel that as burning at the back of the nose, often where your nose meets your throat. If you’ve already read about how pepsin reactivates in the throat, the same thing applies here: pepsin that lands on tissue can stay there and be switched back on by later acid.

What the research shows

ENT researchers have measured reflux reaching the back of the nose. In one study using pH probes placed in the nasopharynx and throat, people whose reflux reached these areas had significantly more post-nasal drip symptoms. The researchers suggested reflux could explain nasal symptoms in people whose sinus and allergy tests came back normal [Wise et al., American Journal of Rhinology, 2006].

Another study tested nasal washings for pepsin in people with chronic sinus disease. Reflux reaching the throat was found in 88% of the sinus patients compared with 55% of people without sinus disease, and pepsin in the nasal fluid matched the probe results closely [Ozmen et al., The Laryngoscope, 2008]. A 2024 meta-analysis pulling together the research found a significant link between chronic rhinosinusitis and reflux disease in adults [Aldajani et al., American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy, 2024].

To be honest about the limits: not every study agrees, and some have found reflux reaching the nasopharynx only rarely. A link doesn’t prove reflux causes nasal symptoms in everyone. But treatment studies point the same way. In a placebo-controlled trial in people with chronic post-nasal drip and no sinus disease or allergy, 60% improved by more than half on acid suppression compared with 24% on placebo [Vaezi et al., Gastroenterology, 2010].

I cover the sinus side of this in more depth in can acid reflux cause sinus infections and acid reflux and sinus congestion.

Signs your nose burning might be reflux

The burning is at the back of the nose, or where the nose meets the throat, rather than at the nostrils
Your throat burns, feels raw or feels irritated at the same time
It’s worse at night, on waking, or after lying down
It flares after big, late, fatty, spicy or acidic meals, coffee or alcohol
You get a sour or bitter taste, especially in the morning
You clear your throat a lot or feel mucus dripping down the back of your throat
Allergy medication and nasal sprays haven’t helped
You sometimes burp up liquid or wake up coughing or choking

Most people with LPR don’t get heartburn, so don’t rule reflux out just because your chest feels fine. See LPR symptoms and GERD vs LPR for the differences.

Burning Sensation in Nose and Throat

When your nose and throat burn together, it narrows the causes down a lot. The main possibilities are:

Silent reflux: burning at the back of the nose and in the throat, worse after meals and lying down, often with throat clearing, a hoarse voice or a sour taste. This combination is one of the clearest signs of LPR, because reflux is one of the few things that reaches both areas from below.
A cold or virus: burning nose and sore throat that start together, with sneezing, a runny nose and sometimes a fever. It settles within days.
Post-nasal drip: mucus dripping from the nose irritates the throat, so both feel raw. Allergies, sinus infections and reflux can all cause it. See silent reflux and post-nasal drip.
Irritants: smoke, fumes and chemicals irritate the whole airway at once.
Dry air: heated or air-conditioned air dries the nose and throat together, especially overnight if you breathe through your mouth.

If the throat burning is the bigger problem, my guide to a burning throat with no heartburn goes into that in detail.

In my own experience with LPR, this kind of upper airway irritation was always worst after a late dinner. I’d go to bed fine and wake up with a raw throat and an irritated, almost stinging feeling at the back of my nose. Eating earlier and raising the head of my bed made more difference to that than any spray I tried.

Burning Sensation in Nose and Headache

A burning nose with a headache usually comes from one of these:

Sinusitis: burning or pressure in the nose with pain across the cheeks, forehead or around the eyes, worse when bending forward, with a blocked nose and thick mucus.
A cold or flu: headache, burning nose, aches and tiredness together.
Migraine and cluster headache: some headaches trigger nasal symptoms on the same side, such as a blocked or runny nose and a watery eye, which is why migraines are often mistaken for sinus headaches.
Dehydration and dry air: both cause a dry, burning nose and a dull headache.
Chemical exposure: fumes from paint, solvents or cleaning products can cause a burning nose and headache together. Get fresh air, and seek help if you feel dizzy, sick or short of breath.

Reflux can contribute too, both through sinus irritation and through poor sleep from night-time reflux. See can acid reflux cause headaches.

Burning Sensation in Nose When Breathing

If your nose burns every time you breathe in, the lining is either very dry or inflamed, so normal air feels harsh. Cold winter air is the most common trigger, followed by heated indoor air, a recent cold, and irritants in the air. Breathing through a scarf in cold weather, running a humidifier and using saline spray usually helps within days. See acid reflux and cold weather for why winter also tends to make reflux worse.

If breathing in hurts with a fever and facial pain, it may be a sinus infection. If you also feel short of breath, wheezy or tight-chested, see a doctor.

How to Stop a Burning Sensation in Your Nose

Quick relief

Use a saline spray or rinse. Salt water moistens the lining, washes out irritants, allergens and mucus, and is safe to use as often as you like. Large-volume rinses with a squeeze bottle or neti pot clean more thoroughly than sprays. Use distilled, sterile or boiled and cooled water, never straight from the tap.
Add moisture to the air. Run a humidifier in your bedroom, aiming for about 40 to 50% humidity. See my guide to the best humidifiers for a dry throat, which applies equally to a dry nose.
Breathe steam. A hot shower or a bowl of hot water soothes a dry nose quickly.
Protect the nostrils. A thin layer of petroleum jelly or a saline gel just inside the nostrils stops dryness and cracking. Don’t put it deep in the nose.
Drink enough water. Dehydration thickens mucus and dries the lining.
Get away from the trigger. Fresh air helps fast if smoke, fumes or chemicals set it off.

If it’s allergies

Use a steroid nasal spray daily during allergy season
Take a non-drowsy antihistamine
Rinse your nose with saline after being outdoors
Keep windows closed on high-pollen days and wash bedding weekly in hot water

Be aware that antihistamines dry the nose and throat, which can make reflux-related irritation feel worse. See antihistamines and acid reflux.

If you’ve been using decongestant sprays

Stop after 5 days. If you’ve used them much longer, your nose will feel more blocked for a week or so as it recovers. Tapering off one nostril at a time, or switching to a steroid spray with your doctor’s or pharmacist’s help, makes this easier.

If it’s reflux

Nasal sprays won’t fix burning that’s coming from below. You need to stop reflux reaching that high.

Stop eating 3 hours before bed. Night-time reflux is the most likely kind to reach the back of the nose, and an empty stomach at bedtime is the single best defense. See how long before bed you should stop eating.
Raise the head of your bed. Lift the whole upper body with bed risers or a wedge, not just extra pillows under your head. See how to raise the head of your bed and the best sleeping position for silent reflux.
Cut the acid. Coffee, alcohol, fizzy drinks, citrus, tomato, chocolate, mint, spicy and fatty foods all trigger reflux or reactivate pepsin. Taking away pepsin’s fuel is the core of the Wipeout Diet Plan. See also LPR foods to avoid.
Take an alginate after your evening meal and at bedtime. It forms a raft on top of the stomach contents that helps keep them down. See alginates for acid reflux.
Rinse after a bad night. A saline rinse in the morning can wash out irritation left behind at the back of the nose.

Treating reflux has been shown to ease nasal symptoms in people with LPR. In a randomized trial, eight weeks of acid suppression plus diet advice reduced post-nasal drip scores more than diet advice alone [Lee et al., Journal of Rhinology, 2023]. If you think reflux may be the cause, my guide on how to get rid of post-nasal drip covers this side in more detail.

When to See a Doctor

Get urgent medical help if you have:

Clear, watery fluid dripping from one side of your nose, especially after a head injury or nose or sinus surgery
A burning nose with a severe headache, stiff neck, high fever or confusion
Swelling around the eye, vision changes or severe facial pain
A burning nose and breathing difficulty after chemical or smoke exposure

See a doctor if you have:

Burning that lasts more than 2 to 3 weeks without an obvious cause
A constant burning smell or other smells that aren’t there
Bloody discharge, crusting or blockage on one side only
Frequent nosebleeds
Sinus symptoms lasting more than 10 days or getting worse after improving
Burning nose and throat that don’t respond to allergy treatment, especially with hoarseness or throat clearing. See when to see a doctor for LPR.

Conclusion

A burning sensation in your nose is usually your nasal lining telling you it’s dry or irritated. Dry air, allergies, colds, sinus infections, overused decongestant sprays and chemical irritants cause most cases, and saline, humidity and avoiding the trigger fix most of them. But if the burning sits at the back of your nose, comes with a burning or irritated throat, and is worse at night or after meals, reflux deserves a close look. Stomach contents can reach the space behind the nose, especially when you’re lying down, and no nasal spray will stop that.

If reflux is behind your burning nose and throat, the biggest changes come from what and when you eat. The Wipeout Diet Plan is where I’d start you. It’s my complete plan for calming reflux and taking away the acid that keeps pepsin irritating your airway. It was designed around silent reflux, the kind that reaches the throat and nose, but because it works on the same underlying causes, it’s just as effective for everyday heartburn and GERD.

If you’d like something lighter to begin with, the Wipeout Food Reference Guide is the essential companion. It lists foods and drinks that are safe for acid reflux and LPR, with their pH values, so you can quickly check whether your diet is feeding the burning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes a burning sensation in the nose?

The most common causes are dry or cold air, allergies, colds and sinus infections, overuse of decongestant nasal sprays, and irritants like smoke, chlorine and cleaning products. Spicy food and reflux can also cause it. Reflux is the cause to consider if your throat burns too and it’s worse at night or after meals.

How do I stop a burning sensation in my nose?

Use a saline spray or rinse, run a humidifier, breathe steam, drink enough water and avoid irritants. Stop decongestant sprays after 5 days. If allergies are the cause, a steroid nasal spray helps. If reflux is the cause, eat earlier, raise the head of your bed and cut acidic trigger foods.

Can acid reflux cause a burning sensation in your nose?

Yes. In silent reflux, stomach contents can travel up past the throat into the nasopharynx, the space behind the nose, especially when you’re lying down or bring food back up. This causes burning at the back of the nose, often with a burning throat, sour taste or post-nasal drip.

Why do my nose and throat burn at the same time?

The most common causes are silent reflux, a cold or virus, post-nasal drip, irritants and dry air. If it’s worse after meals or at night and comes with throat clearing or a hoarse voice, reflux is likely. If it started suddenly with sneezing and a runny nose, it’s probably a virus.

Why does my nose burn when I breathe in?

Usually because the lining is dry or inflamed, so normal air feels harsh. Cold air, heated indoor air and a recent cold are the most common reasons. Saline spray, a humidifier and breathing through a scarf in cold weather usually help.

Why does my nose burn after vomiting?

During vomiting, stomach acid is forced up into the space behind the nose. The acid irritates the nasal lining and the burning can last for hours. Rinsing gently with saline and drinking water helps it settle.

Is a burning sensation in the nose serious?

Usually not. Most cases come from dryness, allergies or a cold. See a doctor if it lasts more than a few weeks, comes with a constant burning smell, one-sided bloody discharge or frequent nosebleeds, or if clear watery fluid drips from your nose after a head injury.

Research & References

[MHRA, Drug Safety Update, 2026] — UK regulator advice cutting the maximum recommended use of xylometazoline and oxymetazoline sprays to 5 consecutive days because of the risk of rebound congestion and rhinitis medicamentosa.
[Raphael et al., Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 1989] — Described gustatory rhinitis, a watery runny nose triggered by spicy foods through a nerve reflex that atropine could block.
[Wise et al., American Journal of Rhinology, 2006] — Using pH probes in the nasopharynx and throat, found that people with reflux reaching these areas had significantly more post-nasal drip symptoms.
[Ozmen et al., The Laryngoscope, 2008] — Reflux reaching the throat was found in 88% of 33 chronic rhinosinusitis patients versus 55% of 20 controls, and a nasal lavage pepsin test matched dual-probe pH monitoring closely.
[Aldajani et al., American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy, 2024] — Systematic review and meta-analysis finding a significant association between chronic rhinosinusitis and reflux disease in adults.
[Vaezi et al., Gastroenterology, 2010] — Randomized placebo-controlled trial in 75 people with chronic post-nasal drip and no sinus disease or allergy; 60% on lansoprazole improved by more than half versus 24% on placebo.
[Lee et al., Journal of Rhinology, 2023] — Randomized trial in 80 people with LPR; eight weeks of a PPI plus diet counseling reduced post-nasal drip scores significantly more than diet counseling alone.

David Gray

12 years living with LPR · Consultant & researcher

Every claim sourced to peer-reviewed research Editorial policy

I've lived with LPR for twelve years — the misdiagnoses, the PPI courses that did nothing, the slow work of figuring out what actually helps. Wipeout Reflux is where I translate the research into plain terms for people stuck in the same place. Every claim here is sourced to peer-reviewed work, and I consult one-to-one with LPR sufferers.

View all articles by David Gray

Burning Sensation in Nose: Causes and How to Stop It