At least once in their life, every person wondered: “Why is my nose bleeding?” This problem is so common that it should be given special attention. If we turn to bare numbers, then, according to statistics, about 10% of all ENT patients 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 the 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.
Nosebleed description
What is a nosebleed? This problem appears when the vessels of the mucous membrane are damaged. Injuries that lead to thiscan be classified as follows: spontaneous and mechanical damage. In the latter case, everything is extremely simple, and it is unnecessary to explain something. Bleeding is the result of injury to the mucous membrane. But in the event that blood appears from the nose in the morning or at other times of the day for no apparent reason, then this is definitely a cause for concern. Many factors can cause such a state, which will be discussed a little later.
Nosebleeds can be heavy or slight. They also differ in duration: long-term and short-term. In the risk group, all people without exception. This problem is diagnosed in children, adolescents, the elderly. The only difference will be in the causes of these bleedings. For example, older people may have poor blood clotting.
The vessels of the anterior wall of the nasal cavity are most often damaged. This is the reason why the nose bleeds. In most cases, it is not life threatening and is easily treated. But everything becomes more complicated if the vessels of the posterior sections are damaged. With such a problem, stopping the bleeding is much more difficult. These vessels are larger than those located on the anterior wall, so bleeding can cause serious complications due to high intensity.
External secretions are not always abundant. Only the appearance of small drops or streams can be observed. But at the same time, the rest of the blood flows down the inner wall and does not come out. In this situation, a person may feel severe weakness, tinnitus,dizziness. In addition to these symptoms, tachycardia also appears and blood pressure drops.
When the nose bleeds, it is important to pay attention to its appearance. It often happens that it is confused with bleeding of the stomach, bronchi, esophagus, lungs. But when the nasal mucosa is injured, the discharge will have a liquid consistency. There can be no flakes or clots in the blood, it is clean. This is exactly what distinguishes nosebleeds.
What causes nosebleeds?
Damage to the vessels in the Kisselbach zone causes blood from the nose. When blowing your nose, people can easily deform the mucous membrane, so this problem arises. In the anterior part of the nasal cavity, the membrane is rather thin and loose. And at the same time, it is especially rich in blood vessels. Therefore, blowing your nose, you can not make an effort, since even the slightest tension can cause a rupture of the vessel, which, accordingly, will lead to profuse bleeding.
But not only for adults, this problem is relevant. Often parents have to stop a nosebleed in a teenager or even a toddler. The reasons for this, apart from trauma and mechanical damage, can be quite serious diseases, for example, kidney disease, vegetative-vascular dystonia and other pathologies. It's also important to note that if your teen is already sexually active, nosebleeds can be symptoms of syphilis.
Main reasons
In addition to certain diseases, the list of which will bepresented below, external factors can also provoke bleeding from the nose. Let's look at the most common reasons.
- Nose bleeds often when the air in the room is too dry. Basically, this problem appears in winter when the heating is turned on. Children suffer the most from this. Due to dry air, the mucous membrane dries up and, accordingly, becomes thinner. It sticks together with capillary vessels. The latter quickly become brittle and inelastic, which is why they are easily damaged.
- Variations in atmospheric pressure also affect the vascular system. Young people rarely experience such fluctuations, but older people may suffer from nosebleeds in the morning. Also at risk are pilots, divers, climbers. This is because atmospheric pressure changes with altitude. And such swings easily cause nosebleeds.
- Overheating is also a common cause. Surprisingly, even quite he althy people, having received a heat stroke, may notice bloody discharge from the nose. In addition, a person in this state feels dizzy and loses consciousness.
- During colds, there is a strong cough. During attacks, the pressure in the vessels of the head increases. And this significantly increases the risk of their ruptures. The same problem can occur when sneezing. Vessels weakened by a respiratory disease simply cannot withstand the load.
- Another reason why nose bleeds is poisoning. Intoxication leads to damage to the vascular walls. More oftenall this happens when working with toxic aerosols. They emit vapors that adversely affect the entire body as a whole.
- Nosebleeds are caused by taking certain 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 easiest cause of a nosebleed is trauma. Note that this factor is the most common. You can injure the mucous membrane in case of an accidental fall, car accident, at work or at home.
In addition to the presence of blood discharge, a person is worried about pain. The skin at the site where the blow fell will turn red. Swelling will appear shortly after the injury. If the bleeding is caused by a cartilage fracture, then, in addition to the above symptoms, a visual curvature of the nose will be noticeable.
It is also possible to injure the mucous membrane during a medical examination: installation of a catheter, puncture, probing. If the blood clots well, then there should be no problems.
ENT diseases
During respiratory diseases, nosebleeds often occur: when blowing your nose, sneezing, coughing. The fact is that with a cold, inflammation of the mucous membrane occurs. The vessels are filled with blood, swelling is observed. These symptoms are typical for diseases such as sinusitis, adenoiditis, sinusitis. It is important to understand that with the voiced diagnoses, nosebleeds are the norm.
Besides these diseases,chronic or allergic rhinitis can provoke discharge. In such a situation, the patient is prescribed vasoconstrictor medications and hormonal agents. With prolonged use of them, thinning occurs, and after that, atrophy of the mucous membrane. Therefore, it is very important to engage in treatment only under the supervision of a doctor.
Deviated septum and other anomalies
It was said above that uncontrolled intake of drugs leads to dystrophic changes. Also, blood comes out of the nose if a person has some kind of anomaly. This category includes local vasodilation, a curved or ruptured septum. Some people are born with certain traits. We are talking about the fact that the vessels in the nasal cavity are located superficially. What does this mean? The fact is that with such an anomaly it is very easy to damage the mucous membrane, even with slight mechanical trauma.
Polyps, tumors and adenoids
If the nose bleeds often, 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.
Change in the structure of the walls of blood vessels
If the walls of the blood vessels of the mucosa have undergone changes, then a person will facewith the fact that he often bleeds from the nose. This type of problem arises from a significant increase in their permeability. The following factors contribute to vascular dysfunction:
- Vitamin C deficiency.
- Diseases of viral and infectious type. These include meningitis, measles, SARS, chickenpox and others.
- Inflammation of the mucous membrane (vasculitis). Characterized by mild bleeding.
- Atherosclerosis of vessels in the nasal cavity.
Other reasons
In addition to the above reasons that can provoke nosebleeds, there are also those that are caused by certain diseases. There are some pretty serious illnesses on this list. For example, cirrhosis of the liver, emphysema, lupus erythematosus. Also at risk are people prone to severe headaches and nervous breakdowns.
A hormonal imbalance occurs during puberty or menopause. It is also seen in pregnant women. With these disorders in the body, thinning of the walls of blood vessels occurs. Most often, it is for this reason that a teenager's nose bleeds.
People who suffer from arterial hypertension are at risk. With this disease, capillary ruptures often occur. And, of course, factors that contribute to nosebleeds are leukemia, low platelets and kidney disease.
How to properly stop a nosebleed?
Everyone should knowWhat to do if nosebleeds start. In this case, it is necessary to provide first aid correctly. Action algorithm:
- Place 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 tilt your head back. In this position, the blood will not be able to go out, so it will flow into the throat, which can cause vomiting. And this extra tension will only increase the bleeding.
- After taking the correct position, the patient is applied ice to the bridge of the nose.
- And if it doesn't help, and the nose bleeds for a long time, what should I do? The main thing is not to panic. You can drip a vasoconstrictor into the nostril.
In some cases, it is advised to perform certain hand movements. For example, raise your hand on the same side as the nostril from which the discharge began. At the same time, hold your nose with your free hand. If bleeding began on both sides, then you can’t do without the help of an outsider. The patient raises two hands up, and the other person pinches his nose. If these methods fail to stop the bleeding, it is necessary to call an ambulance. And the sooner the better.
Bleed from the nose: treatment
Only people who are bleeding heavily 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.
- When abnormally large vessels are found in the mucosa, cauterization may be prescribed. This will help prevent repeated nosebleeds.
- When formations or a foreign body are detected, surgery is used to remove them.
- They may also prescribe drugs such as aminocaproic acid (for impregnation of tampons and intravenously), Reopoliglyukin, amnion solution (1%) and Hemodez.
- If the patient has lost a lot of blood (and this happens), a transfusion may be needed.
