Types of Nose Packing

In cases of nose bleeds, nose surgery and nasal cavity wounds due to nose picking, nostrils are packed with some sort of soft material. The soft material congeals blood and protects the nose. If your nose needs packed, you have a small handful of effective and safe options for packing material.

Gauze

• Gauze is a type of dressing made of loosely woven cotton strands. It is used frequently to dress wounds. When packing a nose, gauze is rolled into a tubular shape for insertion into the nostril. If needed, it is possible to hold the roll in place with umbilical tape. Petroleum jelly applied to the packing material will accelerate the healing of wounds. A doctor may apply antibiotics.

Cotton Balls

• Cotton balls are small balls made of loose, fluffy cotton fibers. A cotton ball is gently compacted into the nostril when packing a nose. If a cotton ball is too large, it is it is pulled apart to create a smaller ball. If necessary, the nostrils can be taped over with surgical tape to hold in the packing material or to help keep the person from putting their finger in their nose and irritating a wound.

Cotton Wedges

• Cotton wedges are made of compacted cotton and are shaped conically to fit into a nostril. Cotton wedges can be manipulated somewhat to fit the particular shape of a nostril. Cotton wedges are often used after nose surgeries such as rhinoplasty and septoplasty. They are highly effective in absorbing post-surgery drainage as well as supporting the shape of the reformed nose.