At least once in their life, each person wondered: “Why does blood come from the nose?” This problem is so widespread that it needs to be given special attention. If we turn to the bare numbers, then, according to statistics, about 10% of all patients with ENT doctors complain of nosebleeds. As a rule, in most cases they occur suddenly and spontaneously. However, if this problem appeared due to an injury, then the patient is urgently hospitalized for examination.
If bleeding from the nose does not stop for a long time or occurs quite often, then you should consult a doctor. The fact is that this pathology can be a symptom of a serious disease that poses a threat to life.
Epistaxis: Description
What are nosebleeds? This problem occurs with damage to the vessels of the mucous membrane. The injuries that lead to this can be classified as follows: spontaneous and mechanical damage. In the latter case, everything is extremely simple, and explaining something is unnecessary. Bleeding is a result of mucosal injury. But in the event that blood appears from the nose in the morning or at another time of the day for no apparent reason, then this is definitely a cause for concern. This condition can be caused by many factors, which will be discussed a little later.
Epistaxis is profuse or minor. They also differ in duration: long and short-term. At risk, all people, without exception. This problem is diagnosed in children, adolescents, the elderly. The only difference will be the cause of these bleeding. For example, older people may have poor blood coagulation.
Most often, vessels of the anterior wall of the nasal cavity are damaged. It is for this reason that blood comes from the nose. In most cases, this does not threaten the patient’s life and is easily treated. But everything becomes complicated if the vessels of the posterior sections are damaged. With such a problem, stopping the blood is much more difficult. These vessels are larger than those located on the front wall, so bleeding can cause serious complications due to high intensity.
External discharge is not always abundant. Only the appearance of small drops or streams can be observed. But with this, the rest of the blood flows down the inner wall and does not go outside. In this situation, a person can feel severe weakness, tinnitus, dizziness. In addition to these symptoms, tachycardia also appears and blood pressure decreases.
When blood comes from the nose, it is important to pay attention to its appearance. It often happens that she is confused with bleeding of the stomach, bronchi, esophagus, lungs. But when the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity is injured, the discharge will have a liquid consistency. There can be no cereals or clots in the blood; it is clean. This is precisely the hallmark of nosebleeds.
What causes nosebleeds?
Vascular damage in the Kisselbach zone causes blood from the nose. When blowing your nose, people can easily deform the mucous membrane, which is why this problem arises. In the front of the nasal cavity, the membrane is quite thin and loose. And at the same time, it is especially rich in blood vessels. Therefore, blowing your nose, you can’t make an effort, since even the slightest tension can cause a rupture of the vessel, which, accordingly, will lead to heavy bleeding.
But not only for adults, this problem is relevant. Often, parents have to stop nasal blood from a teenager or even a baby. The reasons for this, except for injuries and mechanical damage, can be quite serious diseases, for example, kidney disease, vegetative-vascular dystonia and other pathologies. It is also important to pay attention: if a teenager is already living sexually, nosebleeds can be symptoms of syphilis.
Main reasons
In addition to certain diseases, the list of which will be presented below, external factors can also provoke bleeding from the nose. Let's look at the most common causes.
- Blood from the nose often comes if the room is too dry. Basically, this problem appears in the winter when the heating is turned on. Children suffer the most from this. Due to the dry air, the mucous membrane dries up and, accordingly, becomes thinner. Gluing occurs with capillary vessels. The latter quickly become brittle and inelastic, which is why they are easily damaged.
- Fluctuations in atmospheric pressure also affect the vascular system. Young people rarely feel such changes, but older people may suffer from the fact that there is blood from the nose in the morning. Also at risk are pilots, divers, climbers. The fact is that atmospheric pressure varies with altitude. And such differences easily cause nosebleeds.
- Common causes include overheating. Surprisingly, even quite healthy people, having received a heat stroke, can notice bloody discharge from the nose. In addition, a person in this state feels dizzy and loses consciousness.
- During colds, a strong cough appears. With attacks, the pressure in the vessels of the head rises. And this greatly increases the risk of breaks. The same problem can occur when sneezing. The vessels weakened by a respiratory disease simply cannot withstand the load.
- Another reason why blood comes from the nose is poisoning. Intoxication leads to damage to the vascular walls. Most often this happens when working with toxic aerosols. They secrete pairs that adversely affect the whole body as a whole.
- Epistaxis occurs due to the use of special drugs. For example, medicines based on aspirin, heparin thin the blood. Also included in this group are corticosteroids, antihistamines, and even nasal drops.
Injuries
The simplest cause of nosebleed is injury. Note that this is the most common factor. You can injure the mucous membrane in the event of an accidental fall, a car accident, at work or at home.
In addition to the presence of blood discharge, a person is worried about pain. The skin in the place where the blow occurred will turn red. Soon after the injury, swelling will appear. If bleeding is caused by a fracture of the cartilage, then, in addition to the above symptoms, a visual curvature of the nose will be noticeable.
You can also injure the mucous membrane during a medical examination: catheter placement, puncture, probing. If the blood coagulates well, then there should be no problems.
ENT diseases
During respiratory diseases, blood often flows from the nose: by blowing your nose, sneezing, and coughing. The fact is that with a cold, inflammation of the mucous membrane occurs. The vessels are overflowing with blood, swelling is observed. These symptoms are characteristic of diseases such as sinusitis, adenoiditis, sinusitis. It is important to understand that nosebleeds are the norm with voiced diagnoses.
In addition to these diseases, chronic rhinitis or allergic can provoke discharge. In such a situation, the patient is prescribed vasoconstrictor medications and hormones. With their long-term use, thinning occurs, and then mucosal atrophy. Therefore, it is very important to treat only under the supervision of a physician.
Curvature of the nasal septum and other abnormalities
It was said above that uncontrolled intake of drugs leads to dystrophic changes. Also, blood comes from the nose if a person has some kind of anomaly. This category includes local vasodilation, curved or with a violation of the integrity of the septum. Some people have a certain peculiarity from birth. We are talking about the fact that the vessels in the nasal cavity are superficial. What does this mean? The fact is that with such an anomaly it is very easy to damage the mucous membrane, even with weak mechanical trauma.
Polyps, tumors and adenoids
If blood often comes from the nose, this may indicate the presence of pathological formations. These include malignant and benign tumors. Naturally, the sooner the patient seeks help, the more effective the treatment will be. And if we are talking about malignant tumors, then the probability of saving a person’s life will increase.
Changing the structure of the walls of blood vessels
If the walls of the blood vessels of the mucous membrane have undergone changes, then a person will be faced with the fact that he often has blood from his nose. A problem of this type arises from a significant increase in their permeability. The following factors contribute to the disruption of blood vessels:
- Vitamin C Deficiency
- Diseases of the viral and infectious type. These include meningitis, measles, acute respiratory viral infections, chickenpox and others.
- Inflammation of the mucous membrane (vasculitis). It is characterized by abundant blood discharge.
- Atherosclerosis of the vessels in the nasal cavity.
Other reasons
In addition to the above reasons that can cause nosebleeds, there are those that are caused by certain diseases. On this list are quite serious illnesses. For example, cirrhosis, emphysema, lupus erythematosus. Also at risk are people prone to severe headaches and nervous disorders.
During puberty or menopause, a hormonal imbalance occurs. It is also observed in pregnant women. With these violations in the body there is a thinning of the walls of blood vessels. Most often, it is for this reason that the teenager has nosebleed.
People who suffer from hypertension are at risk. With this disease, capillary ruptures often occur. And, of course, factors contributing to nosebleeds are leukemia, low platelet count and kidney disease.
How to stop the blood from the nose?
Everyone should know what to do if nosebleeds begin. In this case, it is necessary to provide first aid correctly. Algorithm of actions:
- Put the patient in such a position that the head is slightly tilted forward. It is important to choose a chair with a high back. In no case should you throw your head back. In this position, the blood will not be able to go outside, so it will flow into the throat, which can cause vomiting. And this is an extra strain that will only increase bleeding.
- After taking the correct position, ice is applied to the bridge of the nose.
- And if this does not help, and the nose bleeds for a long time, what should I do? The main thing is not to panic. You can instill a vasoconstrictor drug into the nostril.
In some cases, it is advised to perform certain hand movements. For example, raise your hand from the same side as the nostril, from which the discharge began. In this case, hold your nose with your free hand. If bleeding began on both sides, then without the help of an outsider you can not do. The patient raises two hands up, and the other person pinches his nose. If these methods did not work, it is necessary to call an ambulance. And the faster, the better.
Blood from the nose: treatment
Only those people who have heavy bleeding are hospitalized. Also, attention should be paid if these problems began to arise quite often. It is recommended to visit a doctor and undergo a comprehensive examination to find out the reasons. As a rule, they make an appointment with a hematologist, neurologist, endocrinologist.
- If abnormally large vessels are found in the mucosa, cauterization can be prescribed. This will help prevent repeated nosebleeds.
- If formations or a foreign body are detected, surgery is used to remove them.
- Drugs such as aminocaproic acid (for impregnating tampons and intravenously), Reopoliglukin, amnion solution (1%), and Hemodez can also be prescribed.
- If the patient has lost a lot of blood (and this happens), a transfusion may be necessary.