It should be noted right away that various factors can cause bleeding. But it is important not only to determine the list of reasons, but also to present a possible picture of the changes occurring in the body. This is necessary so that you can prepare for an unpleasant situation, mitigate the consequences and, if possible, prevent it. So what are the reasons behind nosebleeds?
Common Causes
The risk of bleeding and its recurrence often depends on the disease, sometimes affecting men and women alike, adults and children alike. The most common cause of bleeding is trauma. With it, there is a rush of blood vessels located in damaged tissues, which can cause blood to flow from the nose in an adult and a child. The larger the vessels, the more profuse the nosebleeds will be. It is also known that a child can damage the vessels in the nose when cleaning the cavity too diligently, especially if the child does this with a pencil or similar object. In more serious injuries, damage to the nasal septum often occurs, and then there is profuse bleeding from the nose.
Many problems are caused by open fractures of the nose with displacement and retraction of individual fragments of bone or cartilage. In this case, severe pain occurs, as well as a profuse type of bleeding, which can be very difficult to stop.
Here one already has to deal not with drops of blood and insignificant secretions, but with a continuous, sometimes pulsating stream without clots. With such signs, urgent medical attention is needed.
Trying to find the answer to the question of why the nose is bleeding, we find other explanations. Some reason may be known for a long time, while others are yet to be learned. Nevertheless, each case requires attention, as it can entail serious consequences. The following causes of nosebleeds should be named:
- long stay in direct sunlight;
- overwork (as a result of strenuous, including physical, work);
- dryness of the mucous membrane due to overheating in the sun or in a bath;
- exposure to unusually low temperatures.
If, when analyzing your condition, you find any of these factors, it will immediately become clear why, it would seem, suddenly, the nosebleed.
Due to the influence of such factors, the vessels become more vulnerable, respond more quickly, collapse, and then suddenly blood flows from the nasal cavity. You can mitigate the negative impact of the external environment by taking some simple steps. So, in the summer you need to wear a hat that will protect the vessels of the head from overheating. To humidify excessively dry air at home, it is enough to regularly wet cleaning, and leave containers with water near the battery.
There are other causes of nosebleeds, they are considered to be more serious, since they are associated with systemic disorders in the body. So for what diseases does the blood come from the nose? Most often, a disease of the respiratory or circulatory system makes itself felt as such a symptom. And it is possible that the pathology was not previously detected.
What violations are detected during the examination
Hypertension can be put in the first place among diseases, manifested, inter alia, by external bleeding. At high blood pressure, the vessels do not stand up and burst. The same is experienced by people who often have increased intracranial pressure.
If blood starts to flow from the nose due to the cause of high blood pressure, this is considered a positive point, since in this way it normalizes. Otherwise, stroke, internal hemorrhage may occur. It should be noted that with hypertension, most often blood flows from the nose in the morning, during the hours of the greatest pressure drops.
Speaking about what are the nosebleeds and the reasons, there are other ailments that provoke bleeding:
- cardiovascular dystonia;
- atherosclerosis;
- pheochromocytoma (adrenal gland tumor);
- oncology;
- liver pathology;
- hemophilia (one of the diseases associated with bleeding disorders);
- the formation of papillomas in the nose;
- alcoholism.
With each of these disorders, not only does nose bleed, but additional symptoms are also observed.
So, with a vegetative-vascular disorder, the discharge is watery, there is a headache and tinnitus. This is due to the fact that this disease is characterized by extremely weak vessels.
Finding out why the nose is bleeding and the reasons for this phenomenon, we are faced with an increase in the level of stress hormones. Due to this change, the pressure rises sharply, as a result of which blood begins to run from the nose. This phenomenon is most typical for adrenal tumors, and additional symptoms are precisely the frequent cases of bleeding and painful dryness of the mucous membrane.
Another possible pathological factor causing discomfort and pain is papillomas. Their growth on the mucous membrane is usually associated with the penetration of a viral infection. Such formations interfere with normal blood flow and breathing, as a result of which nosebleeds often run in the morning in adults. Such an anomaly is also dangerous because sometimes the papilloma degenerates into a malignant tumor.
Problems by age and gender
The causes of nosebleeds can be hormonal. Bleeding is common in adolescents during puberty and in women during pregnancy. During these periods, the vascular system does not have time to adapt to increasing loads. Note that during puberty, discharge can only be from one nostril. And more cases of nosebleeds are recorded among girls shortly before menstruation.
In naming the causes of nosebleeds in adults, we have already mentioned hemophilia. This blood disease is more common (in 99%) in men, and its development is genetically determined. So far, in the arsenal of world medicine there is no way by which the cause of this disorder could be eliminated.
Unfortunately, there has been an increase in bleeding due to cocaine use, and this trend is more affecting young people. It should not be forgotten that this narcotic substance is very toxic to the mucous membrane and gradually destroys it. With severe damage, the epithelium resembles a continuous bleeding area that does not withstand the slightest touch.
If we talk about why blood flows from the nose, it is impossible to ignore such diseases as sinusitis, ARVI, rhinitis. These causes in adults and children can be common, but manifest in different ways. In older people, the symptoms are more expressive, the mucous membrane and blood vessels suffer more, this is due to a weakened immune system. Diseases assert themselves with such an additional symptom as discharge with an admixture of pus, which indicates the development of an inflammatory process.
Best methods for stopping bleeding
Application of cold is considered a tried and true method, but first you should try to stop the discharge by pressing your nostrils with the thumb and forefinger of one hand. To do this, it is recommended to sit up straight, slightly tilting your head forward, but keeping it above the level of the heart.
If you tilt your head too much, the condition will worsen. And if you throw it back, then the blood will flow down the throat, causing nausea and vomiting. In this case, the load on the vessels increases, which will only increase bleeding. A kind of finger clamp to stop blood can be held for 8-10 minutes.
A towel soaked in cold water is often used as a compress.It is applied to the bridge of the nose and held for 10-15 minutes. To alleviate the condition, a damp cold napkin is also applied to the back of the neck. You can wrap it in a cotton cloth and lightly press pieces of ice against the problem area. It is impossible to keep the ice for a long time, since hypothermia is possible. Usually, a compress with ice is used no longer than 15 minutes, and if necessary, repeat the procedure after 15-20 minutes.
To stop severe nosebleeds, use tampons soaked in hydrogen peroxide. They are kept in the nostrils for no longer than 15 minutes. Instead of hydrogen peroxide, vasoconstrictor drops are also used, but they only require a few drops for each tampon. Such drugs promote faster healing of the damaged vessel.
A relatively new method for stopping bleeding is the use of a hemostatic sponge made from blood plasma. A piece of such a sponge should be pressed to the surface of the problem area for 5 minutes. As a result of interaction with the components of the sponge, blood coagulates, and a small film forms at the site of damage. The value of this method also lies in the fact that, if necessary, a piece of sponge can be left on the damaged surface, and this will help prevent new bleeding. The sponge dissolves over time, but this process usually takes about three weeks.
The worst thing is to watch the bleeding and not be able to stop it. This happens with hemophilia, when you should immediately call the ambulance team. The same rule applies if there is a risk of severe blood loss.
To prevent such cases in the future, it is recommended to undergo treatment aimed at eliminating the underlying disease. To strengthen the walls of blood vessels and health in general, it is necessary to include foods rich in vitamins and microelements in the diet.
