The bloody nose is known as epistaxis or nasal bleeding and occurs when blood vessels near the surface of the nasal cavity suffer damage or injury. Usually, the bleeding is intensely red, being rare that it causes problems with breathing or speaking; this only happens if the clots block the nostrils.
Epistaxis is a clinical sign, which implies that the disease or cause that produces it must be investigated to obtain a diagnosis and treat it correctly. Anyone can present this bleeding, being more common in children 10 to 13 years and adults 50 and over. Generally, it resolves spontaneously and without complications, and on very few occasions, it is severe, endangering the patient’s life.
In FastlyHeal, we detail the Causes of Blood in the nose so that you do not have any doubts about it.
Table of Contents
Functions of the nose and nostrils
Before beginning to explain the causes that lead to a nosebleed, it is essential to know what the functions of the nasal passages are.
- Respiratory is the passageway of the air that comes and goes to and from the lungs.
- Filter, the nostrils select which particles pass and which do not.
- Olfactory, it allows us to smell.
- Conditioning heats and moistens the air we breathe to reach the lung alveoli in the best conditions.
Once we understand what this area is for, it becomes easier to detect the possible causes of this problem.
Local causes of nosebleeds
Conditions that take place in the nose proper are understood as local. The most common local causes of nosebleeds are:
- Trauma, strong blows, or rough scratching maneuvers on the nose.
- Dryness of the nasal mucosa usually takes place in poorly ventilated environments.
- Malignant tumors of the nasal septum are accompanied by fetid mucus, with pus and streaks of Blood.
- Foreign bodies appear in the nostrils producing repeated epistaxis.
- Deviations of the nasal septum, leaving the patient’s nasal mucosa exposed to environmental factors.
General causes of nosebleeds
The general causes of nosebleeds are those caused by problems unrelated to this area and the nostrils, leading to epistaxis.
Some of the most common are:
- Infections that cause sinusitis and mucus, such as the common cold.
- Medications such as anticoagulants or antiaggregants, whose function is to decrease the ability of the blood to form clots.
- Blood disorders such as acute leukemia.
- Coagulation disorders such as hemophilia.
- Hypertension.
Treatment of this condition
An eventual nosebleed does not represent a significant problem, nor is it considered a medical emergency; however, when it occurs frequently, then it is essential to go to an otolaryngologist first to rule out any problem in the area. If this specialist does not find any abnormality in this area, they may refer you to the doctor he deems appropriate.
The treatment of nosebleeds has two stages:
- Immediate treatment by controlling bleeding. For this, a detailed physical examination of the patient is carried out, sitting with the head forward, under direct vision and adequate light. Treating the bleeding is by applying finger pressure on the nostrils and the septum for about 10 minutes and consistently applying cotton plugs. In addition, you can help yourself with ice or cold compresses to help blood flow less in the area and control bleeding more effectively.
- Search for the cause, clinical diagnosis, and appropriate treatment. It is essential to clean blood clots from the nostrils, either by aspiration or instructing the patient to wipe their nose. This procedure will make it easier to locate the bleeding area. If it is still not clear where the bleeding is coming from, the doctor may perform a nasal endoscopy, a technique in which the inside of the nose can be seen with a tiny camera. Once the cause of the nosebleed is known, the medical staff will proceed to treat it most conveniently.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.