About the disease
Nose bleeding is a very common condition. In most cases it does not indicate some serious health problem. In general, there are many blood vessels in the nose. They are located both in the front and in the back of the nose. These blood vessels are close to the skin and surface on the nose, so they can cause bleeding. According to healthline, nose bleeding is most common in children between the age of 3 to 10 years because their nasal blood vessels are especially fragile.
Overall, there are two main type of nose bleeding: anterior and posterior. It depends on the location of blood vessels which bleed. Anterior nose bleeding is more common. It develops when blood vessels in the front of the nose crack and start to bleed. Posterior nose bleeding is more rare and also more dangerous because the bleeding goes down the back of the throat.
There are many causes of nose bleeding. If nose bleeding occurs rarely and stops quickly, it's not a serious problem. If nose bleeding became chronic and continuous, it can indicate some serious problem.
The most common cause of nose bleeding is dry air. People who live in dry climates are more susceptible to developing nose bleeding. If the nasal cavity becomes dry, crusting inside the nose can develop and cause the blood vessels to crack. Taking certain decongestants againsts colds, allergies and infections can also dry nasal membranes and cause nose bleeding. Excessive nose blowing, which is the case of many during the cold, can also become the cause of nose bleeding. Nose bleeding can develop as a result of punch into the nose, fall, injury or nasal trauma.
If the nose bleeding lasts longer than 20 minutes and happens often, this is a serious condition which needs to be checked.
Symptoms
- Nose bleeding is the only symptoms
- In some cases it can be followed by the feeling of dryness and congestion in the nose
Diagnosis
- During a general examination the doctor will examine the nasal cavity and determine if there are other problems with nose, such as nasal deviation.
- The doctor will ask if the patient had any cold or infections lately. The doctor will ask about the medication the patient takes and determine if he/she has allergy to some allergen.
- Nasal endoscopy is an imaging tests used to examine the nasal cavity and sinuses and determine if there are any abnormalities. In some cases doctors can also use MRI, an X-ray or CT scan.
- A blood count test can be used to determine if there are problems with blood. The doctor can also order additional test which measure the time it takes the blood to coagulate.
Treatment
- Conservative treatment uses special nasal spray decongestants and compresses to stop the nose bleeding and also make the time of blood coagulation faster.
- If nose bleeding is caused by contact with some medication or allergen, the contact needs to be stopped immediately.
- Surgical treatment can be used in severe cases when some of the blood vessels of the nose need to be removed to stop the continuous bleeding.
Authors: Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova, Dr. Sergey Pashchenko
