What is nose bleeding?

Nosebleeds are common. They may be scary, but they rarely indicate a serious medical problem. 

The nose contains many blood vessels. These blood vessels are located close to the surface in the front and back of the nose. They are very fragile and bleed easily. 

Dr. George Varghese, ENT Specialist   at Middle East Hospital in Segaya, point outs Nasal Bleeding is one of the common complaints that we encounter almost every day. 

In medical terms it is called EPISTXIS. It’s alarming for the common man. But the cause of it, in 90% of cases, is simple and straightforward. 

According to Dr. Varghese ‘the nose is rich in blood supply (vascular) and is situated in a vulnerable position as it protrudes on the face. As a result, trauma to the face can cause nasal injury and bleeding. The bleeding may be profuse, or mild. Nosebleeds can occur spontaneously when the nasal membranes dry out and crack. This is common in dry climates or during the winter when the air is dry and warm from household heaters’. 

People are susceptible to nosebleeds if they take medications that prevent normal blood clotting. In this situation, even a minor trauma could result in significant bleeding.

The Usual causes: 

It’s true that in many cases the cause of bleeding is unknown. The majority of cases are secondary to upper respiratory tract infection, allergy or nose picking. 

In the Gulf region, the common cause is nasal crusting due to inhalation of hot air. Ulceration follows crusting and that results in bleeding. Nose blowing and excessive sneezing are other common causes of nasal bleeding. 

Children often come with nasal bleeding due to infected foreign bodies. Hypertension and direct injury to the nose are other common causes.

The Unusual causes: 

An unusual cause of bleeding is deviated nasal septum.  Usually people get alarmed with deviated septum. About 80% of people has deviated septum.  That does not warrant surgery unless there are sufficient grounds. 

There are people on anticoagulant therapy following certain cardiac conditions. Those on high anticoagulant therapy are also susceptible for nasal bleeding. Bleeding diathesis like 

Haemophilia is another cause of bleeding nose. Tumours of the nose, paranasal sinus and nasopharynx are other causes of bleeding. The other causes worth mentioning are sinusitis, chronic infections of the nose, sinuses and fungal infections.

Household Management of Nasal Bleeding

Ice Packs: Most of the patients coming to the emergency room with bleeding nose always carry an ice bucket. Though the result is not proven scientifically, it’s always worth a trial.

Local Pressure: It’s always worth pinching the nose with two fingers. Apply pressure for 10 minutes and release slowly. Most of the bleeding from the front part of septum will cease with this manure.

Advice to the Patient: Make the patient sit vertically upwards on the bed with head leaning forward. Always instruct the patient not to swallow blood, for this might induce vomiting later. 

Instruct the patient to spit out blood instead of swallowing. In this position, pinch the nose firmly and wait for 10 minutes. 

If these measures fail, then the patient should be taken to emergency room for packing the nose and for other medical intervention.