Bleeding from the nose is a fairly common occurrence. In most cases, young children and the elderly suffer from it. Many people take this symptom lightly, do not consider it worthy of attention. And this is a big mistake, because the sign clearly indicates any violations in the body. If no action is taken, a little difficulty can turn into an incredible problem. First of all, you need to identify the causes of nosebleeds, and then talk about the harm to health. Development can be caused by a common wound on the mucosa, or by a serious disease of the internal organs.
Terminology
The phenomenon under consideration sounds like an “epistaxis” and is a process of blood discharge from the nasal cavity resulting from rupture of blood vessels. Sometimes epistaxis is marked by large blood loss, which threatens human health. In such situations, emergency medical assistance is indispensable.
The mucous membrane of the nose consists of a huge number of small blood vessels. Accordingly, when they are affected, fluid connective tissue flows out of the nostrils. In rare, especially severe cases, blood flows into the larynx, which greatly interferes with breathing.
It is worth noting that the most common cause of nosebleeds in children and adults is mucosal damage as a result of accidental injury. In older people, the symptom is more common due to organ deformation. The mucous membrane becomes thinner and drier, the ability to contract in blood vessels is reduced, and arterial hypertension is detected. In general, there are two types of epistaxis:
- anterior when blood flows out;
- posterior, very rare, but life-threatening. In such a situation, fluid connective tissue flows inward along the nasopharynx.
Why is nose bleeding?
There are many causes of nosebleeds. They depend on the age, environment of a person and his state of health.
- Injury or damage. It can be either just a bruise leading to rupture of blood vessels, or a broken nose. External influences of this nature often lead to bleeding.
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system. Such pathologies are mainly found in adults. Along with diseases, jumps in blood pressure and cramping are observed. Bleeding from the nose often opens during a hypertensive crisis, when the pressure reaches a critical level.
- Extreme environmental conditions. This refers to the reaction to heat or sunstroke. As a rule, epistaxis is an inevitable component of the consequences.
- Age. As already noted, the elderly are at risk due to aging. As for children, puberty is considered the most dangerous. Women are prone to bleeding during hormonal changes in the body.
- Stressful situations, emotional explosions. It is no secret that depression and psychological disorders greatly deplete the body, as a result of which the vessels become thin. In addition, pressure surges are observed, leading to epistaxis.
- A lack of vitamins causes nosebleeds due to changes in the normal state of vascular cells.
- Blood disorders. This is already a physiological feature in which fluid connective tissue has problems with coagulation. Epistaxis occurs with any effect of an external and internal nature.
Blood coagulation
When bleeding opens, first aid is needed and it is stopped. Epistaxis usually does not last long, since the fluid connective tissue forms a blood clot covering the hole. In case of severe nosebleed, there is a chance of clotting problems. And this is no longer a mucosal injury, here we are talking about a serious pathology.
There is such a disease called "hemophilia", which manifests itself only in men of different ages and health conditions. The fact is that if the patient genetically does not have the ability to clot blood, it is impossible to cure the disease. All that a patient can do in such a situation is to turn to a specialist and inform him.
Often, epistaxis is caused by improper human actions. Moreover, we are talking not only about a lack of vitamins, but also about drugs, which significantly reduces the level of blood coagulation. Medications should be used only on the advice of your doctor. A similar situation with traditional medicine. People often exceed a certain norm, and then they are surprised at the appearance of nosebleeds. Here you can be advised to be more careful and know the measure. If you doubt something, it is better to check with a professional. This has not done harm to anyone.
Frequent nosebleeds
Epistaxis can be both rare and recurrent in nature. In the first case, we are talking about fast and self-terminating bleeding. In most cases, they do not cause concern, because one bursting vessel is unlikely to be able to undermine health. A completely different thing is the recurrent discharge of fluid connective tissue. If such a symptom appears, consult a doctor as soon as possible. Often, this symptom indicates the presence of a serious disease.
Along with epistaxis, tinnitus and dizziness are observed. If a person has lost a lot of blood, then this is a direct threat to life. The causes of frequent nosebleeds are quite different, the process does not always indicate the presence of serious diseases. The situation arises as a result of severe trauma to the mucosa, accompanied by the presence of tumors in the nose. At the same time, there is a constant risk of relapse, and the person does not know at what point the blood will go again.
Epistaxis in pregnant women
Women "in position" are at risk. According to statistics, 60% of expectant mothers have nosebleeds. One of the reasons may be a lack of vitamins, especially group C organic substances. Blood vessels become elastic, which increases the risk of epistaxis.
Pregnant women are afflicted with a long walk, especially in winter. Frosty and dry air can destroy blood vessels. Calcium deficiency leads not only to epistaxis, but also to bleeding gums and other unpleasant moments. If heavy bleeding is accompanied by a headache, then there is the likelihood of the presence of high blood pressure. Expectant mothers need to be sensitive to their health, since the state of the baby depends on it. In order to avoid negative consequences, it is better to immediately call an ambulance. The doctor will check the pressure and identify the cause of the disease.
Bleeding and disease
The presence of any disease can cause nosebleeds in adults and children. If the patient suffers from colds viral pathologies, then he often has a runny nose. Epistaxis opens due to traumatic injuries. Sneezing, a strong cough provoke the destruction of capillaries, which leads to bleeding, the nature of which depends on many factors, including blood coagulation. If allergic rhinitis is present, bleeding is also possible. An allergen acts on the immune system, destroying it, which leads to a protective reaction of the body in the form of various symptoms.
Viruses and infections can multiply in the nose. Often the question arises: why does blood come from only one nostril? The fact is that it was on her that had more infectious load. Epistaxis is also observed in people who are in unfavorable conditions for a long time. Low air temperature provokes nasal congestion, after a while the symptom disappears. Sometimes capillary rupture occurs, leading to the release of fluid connective tissue. Adult nosebleeds are also caused by the presence in a contaminated, dusty environment. Aggressive conditions can affect the destruction of several vessels. Usually this kind of epistaxis does not last long. But if the bleeding opens due to the thin walls of the vessels, it can acquire a strong character due to environmental influences.
Nosebleeding in children
As you know, the children's body is rather weak compared to the adult. Internal organs and the immune system have not yet fully formed, and therefore epistaxis appears more often and for less serious reasons. Any bleeding occurs as a result of rupture of the vessel. Ideally, you need to immediately determine the cause during first aid. In principle, the reasons for the occurrence of such a process are the same as in adults. Only sometimes a less powerful effect on the vessels is enough to destroy them.
In addition to injuries and damage to the mucosa, nosebleeds in children cause fragility of the walls of blood vessels, increased blood pressure, blood diseases, etc. One cannot but mention the psychological factor, because nervous disorders can lead to epistaxis. It must be said about the hereditary component. There is such a disease - lupus erythematosus, which is caused by malfunctions in the immune system and is inherited. Too dry indoor air has a negative effect on the mucosa. It atrophies and the vessels become brittle. Frequent nosebleeds in a child are observed in the presence of infectious pathologies, coagulation dysfunctions, hypertension, etc. The task of parents is to find out the cause of the disease as soon as possible and spend all their energy on its treatment. Symptoms cannot be ignored, because epistaxis indicates a malfunction of the body.
How to stop bleeding?
When the fluid connective tissue begins to leak from the nasal cavity, it is necessary to stop it and provide first aid. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to do it right.
Consider a certain sequence of actions that must be performed when opening bleeding:
- You need to put the patient directly, tilt your head forward, as close to the chest as possible.
- A cold rag must be applied to the bridge of the nose; snow or ice can be used. If this is not possible, put any cold object, this will reduce the intensity of blood circulation.
- Vasoconstrictor drugs used for nasal congestion should be instilled. If this was not at hand, you can use lemon juice.
- With the thumb and forefinger, press the wings of the nose of the patient to the septum. Thus, you block your breath, forcing the victim to use his mouth for these purposes. If the bleeding is not severe, it will stop after a few minutes.
- If all else fails, use cotton swabs after soaking in water or hydrogen peroxide. Tampons should be placed in the nostrils and kept for half an hour. As they become saturated with blood, they need to be changed.
What can not be done?
There are several actions that are forbidden to be performed. After all, this will only aggravate the situation and in no way help the patient. Firstly, you do not need to blow your nose, as this process will displace the blood clot, and the liquid connective tissue will leak out again. Secondly, do not throw your head back. This is the most common mistake. Most people believe that if blood cannot flow out of the nostrils, it will stop flowing. But they are mistaken, because such an action will not improve the condition, because the blood will go to the larynx, pharynx, etc. The result may turn out to be deplorable: the patient will be choked with liquid connective tissue.
Finally, thirdly, you can not independently pull out a foreign body. It happens that the cause of epistaxis is the presence of interference in the nostrils. If you try to pull it out yourself, it can shift and cause choking. Normal nosebleeds can lead to very serious consequences, so it is so important to know about the rules of help and what should not be done.
In what situations do you need to call an ambulance?
We single out the cases upon the occurrence of which one cannot do without medical assistance:
- bleeding does not stop for twenty to thirty minutes;
- epistaxis is caused by damage to the head, liquid connective tissue is released from the nose along with a clear fluid;
- blood flows in a stream without clot formation;
- bleeding is accompanied by vomiting, which indicates problems with the stomach;
- high blood pressure;
- foamy blood, which indicates lung pathology.
Doctors help
It is worth noting that the treatment of bleeding from the nose boils down to an emergency stopping the flow of liquid connective tissue. When the above situations occur, you must call an ambulance. Usually, doctors take the following measures to stop bleeding:
- Tamponade. A gauze swab is inserted into the nasal cavity. The fabric must first be treated with petroleum jelly or a special paste. This will improve blood coagulation. There are two ways to enter the swab: the front, when the gauze is applied from the side of the nostrils, and the back, when the side of the oropharynx is used.
- Surgical intervention. An extremely rare method used in 7% of all cases. They resort to it only if necessary, if the other methods were useless. Doctors clog or bandage the arteries supplying the nose with blood, cauterize with current, or expose to liquid nitrogen. In each case, the doctor decides which way will be most effective.
Minor bruises of a single nature do not imply special therapy. If the patient observes epistaxis quite often, you should consult a specialist. By the way, to which doctor do you need to make an appointment? If you have problems with the nose, an otolaryngologist will help you. He will conduct an examination, prescribe the necessary studies and determine the cause.
If bleeding appears against the background of sinusitis or runny nose, no special treatment is necessary. In this situation, it will be quite enough to cope with the underlying disease, and all the symptoms will disappear by themselves.
When epistaxis opens due to medications that worsen blood coagulation, you should immediately go to the doctor. He will prescribe new dosages of the drugs, as well as prescribe vitamins and calcium.
In this article, we talked about the causes and treatment of nosebleeds, and also examined the sequence of actions in first aid. This information is useful to everyone, because no one is safe from the release of liquid connective tissue.