Itchy nose: spiritual meaning, left or right nostril

An itchy nose has a long list of folk meanings: a visitor is on the way, news is coming, you will soon argue with someone, or kiss a fool. Spiritually, the nose is linked to instinct and to sensing what is going on around you and inside you, so an itchy nose may ask what you are "sniffing out", and what is irritating you. The left nostril is linked to feelings and the right to understanding. Physically, most itchy noses come from an allergy, a cold, dry air or an irritant such as smoke or perfume.

This guide covers the spiritual meaning, the folklore, the left and right sides of the nose, women and men, whether it is a good or bad sign, and when to see a doctor.

What does an itchy nose mean spiritually?

Two meanings meet here: the meaning of the nose, and the meaning of the itch.

The nose: instinct and sensing

Spiritually, the nose is linked to instinct, especially the instinct for survival. It helps you smell, and in the same movement it helps you sense what is happening, outside and within. Someone with a "good nose" uses it like a rudder: it picks up what needs doing and where to go next. The nose is also where air, and so life, comes in.

Like an animal's, the nose warns of danger. It can "smell a rat": a bad deal, a plot, something being hidden from you. When the nose is troubled, the questions are about intuition, danger and safety, and sometimes about an anxious sense that something, or someone, does not belong. See anguish and fear if that sense is strong.

The itch: an irritation under the skin

An itch is an irritation that has slipped under the skin. It often sits with impatience: things not going your way, or not moving fast enough. Our page on itchy skin explores this in detail.

Put together: what are you sniffing out?

An itchy nose may ask:

• Do I sense that something is off? A situation, an offer, a person's behaviour. Is my instinct trying to get my attention while my head says "it's fine"?
• Who or what is irritating me? The nose is close to the sneeze, and spiritually sneezing is linked to wanting to push away a person or a situation that bothers you, and to criticism, of someone else or of yourself.
• Am I being led by the nose? In English and in French alike, being led by the nose means being steered by someone else. An itchy nose can ask whether you are taking your life in your own hands, or following a direction set by another.

In folklore

This section is popular belief. It is not medicine, and it is not the spiritual interpretation above.

The itchy nose has more folk meanings than almost any other body sign, and they often contradict each other. Common ones in British, Irish and North American tradition include:

• A visitor is coming. Some say an itch on the right side announces a man and on the left a woman, or the reverse.
• You will kiss, or be kissed by, a fool. Usually said with a laugh.
• A quarrel or a vexation is on the way.
• News, a letter or a message is coming.

In some traditions, the bridge or the tip of the nose has its own meaning, and in many places the advice is simply not to scratch, so as not to spoil the omen. None of this predicts anything; these are sayings passed down in families.

Left or right side of the nose?

The nose has a particular left/right reading of its own. Spiritually, feelings and affection are said to enter through the left nostril, and understanding and analysis through the right. A danger you feel is linked to the left, a danger you need to understand to the right. This fits the wider map of the left and right sides of the body: right for the masculine principle (logic, action, decisions, the men in your life), left for the feminine (feeling, intuition, receiving, the women in your life), in men and women alike.

For women and for men

The left/right map is the same for everyone.

• For a woman, an itchy right side can touch tensions in her working life or choices made for her; an itchy left side, a feeling or intuition she is talking herself out of.
• For a man, an itchy right side can touch rivalry or a decision he is unsure of; an itchy left side, an emotional situation he senses but would rather not look at.

Is an itchy nose a good or bad sign?

In folklore, it can be both: a welcome visitor or a quarrel, depending on who tells it. Spiritually, it is neither. It is a small signal that your instinct is awake, or that something is getting on your nerves. Paying attention to it is a way of trusting yourself a little more.

Why does my nose itch? The medical side

An itchy nose is very common and usually harmless. The main causes are:

• Allergic rhinitis. The NHS describes it as the nose being irritated by something you are allergic to, such as pollen, house dust mites, animal dander or mould, causing sneezing, an itchy nose, a runny or blocked nose and itchy, watery eyes. When the trigger is pollen, it is hay fever. See also allergies.
• A cold. The start of a common cold often brings an itchy, tickly nose.
• Irritants and weather. Smoke, strong perfume, cleaning products, very hot or cold air and dry indoor air can all irritate the nose.
• The skin of the nose. Rosacea, dry skin, or dermatitis from a new cream can make the outside of the nose itch.
• Sinusitis, where itching and blockage come with pain or pressure around the face.

Rubbing or picking an itchy nose can lead to nosebleeds.

When to see a doctor

The NHS advises seeing a GP if allergic rhinitis symptoms get worse, if you also have asthma and it is getting worse, if symptoms affect your sleep and everyday life, if you are not sure what is causing them, or if pharmacy treatments are not working. A pharmacist can help with antihistamines and nasal sprays. Decongestant sprays should not be used for more than a few days at a time, as they can make a blocked nose worse.

Call 999 for swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing, which can be a severe allergic reaction.

A gentler way to use this

• Look at the air first. Pollen count, dust, a new pet, smoke, perfume, heating. Rule out the practical triggers.
• Ask what your instinct is saying. Write down the first thing that comes to mind when you ask "what doesn't smell right?"
• Name the irritation. A person, a habit, a situation. Is it them, or something in you that they touch?
• Notice who is steering. Is there a choice you are letting someone else make for you?
• Trust your nose. Opening up to your intuition, and saying yes to what you sense, is the step offered here. Our guide to the third eye chakra looks at intuition more closely.

The nose sits within the respiratory system; its other signs are explained there. For signs around the ears, see burning ears meaning, and for palms, itchy palms meaning. All the everyday signs are gathered in body signs and their spiritual meaning.

This guide is for reflection and general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition. See a GP or pharmacist for nose symptoms that last or affect your sleep, and call 999 for swelling of the face or difficulty breathing.