At what pressure does nose bleed?

One of the most common causes of nosebleeds is sudden changes in blood pressure. But if high blood pressure and nosebleeds are common, then few people know that bleeding can occur with a decrease in pressure. And this is dangerous, because if in this case you take a pill for pressure and lower it even more, you can cause loss of consciousness and even coma.

Why does it bleed

Let's try to figure out at what pressure the nose bleeds and why this happens at all. The nasal mucosa is permeated with a whole network of capillaries and small blood vessels. If the capillaries are fragile and located close to the surface of the mucous membrane, then nosebleeds may appear with the slightest stress or minor injury to the nose.

With increased pressure, the capillaries lining and feeding the mucous membrane burst, and the blood is poured out. On the one hand, this is good - the total blood pressure decreases and the person feels better. It is better to let the vessels burst in the nose than in the brain, when the consequence is a hemorrhagic stroke. On the other hand, if this happens constantly, then the mucous membrane atrophies, and this leads to the development of complications.

With reduced pressure, the situation generally looks paradoxical: the blood vessels shrink, the person turns pale, and blood suddenly begins to flow from the nose. Apparently, everything is more complicated here, and the real cause of bleeding is not the pressure itself. It is just a symptom of another disease, like nosebleeds. And in this case, a consultation with a doctor is necessary, and possibly a serious diagnostic examination.

High pressure

For those people whose blood pressure is constantly above the maximum allowable values of 130/90 (120/80 is considered the norm!), There is such a diagnosis as arterial hypertension. This disease does not arise by itself, it always has visible or hidden causes:

strong or prolonged stress;
blood vessels clogged with cholesterol;
increased blood viscosity;
cardiovascular insufficiency;
diseases of the kidneys and urinary system;
hormonal disorders;
excessive physical activity;
overweight;
alcohol abuse;
chronic diseases of other organs.

Most often, the blood from the nose at high pressure begins to run when the tonometer readings exceed the 160/100 mark. Often, the pressure rises at night, and a person detects blood only in the morning following the marks on the pillow or bedding.

Blood from the nose with a pressure exceeding 200 often saves a person's life, especially if there are no other means at hand to lower it. Therefore, sometimes it makes sense to inflict a light blow on the nose in order to provoke bleeding and prevent damage to the vessels of the brain and internal hemorrhages. This method is not the best, but when a person is away from doctors and needs to be rescued, any means are good.

Nosebleeds are unpleasant but not dangerous. Much more dangerous is the very fact of an uncontrolled increase in pressure. Therefore, if bleeding started during the day, then it is enough to take an antihypertensive drug and stop the blood. And if at night, then consult a doctor about what measures to take to prevent pressure surges at night.

Low pressure

If a person has low blood pressure, nosebleeds are rare. Usually the patient feels weak, dizzy, ringing in the ears, and may faint. By the way, a blow to the head or strong shaking of the body when falling can also cause bleeding, although it is not directly related to blood pressure.

Reduced pressure is considered to be less than 90/60. Periodically, it can occur as a reaction to overwork, fear, severe stress. Hypotension often accompanies such a chronic psychosomatic illness as vegetative-vascular dystonia. Many doctors are still arguing whether to consider it a disease, although this condition has characteristic, pronounced symptoms, one of which is a sharp drop in pressure and fainting.

With vegetative-vascular dystonia, severe fatigue, lack of sleep, the pressure drops quite sharply, but this happens only periodically, as well as severe nosebleeds. But there are other, much more serious causes of hypotension, which cause blood to flow at low pressure:

Internal bleeding: pulmonary, stomach, throat. When the blood accumulated inside no longer finds a way out, it begins to pour out through the throat and nose. The cause may be tuberculosis, an open ulcer, a burn, or severe irritation of the larynx.
Injury to the head or internal organs, accompanied by severe bleeding. The blood looks for any possible exits and through the nose as well.
Disruptions in the hormonal system. Hormones can simultaneously affect two factors: blood pressure and blood viscosity. If the blood thinns too much, it can flow even at low pressure from any scratch on the mucous membrane.
Myocardial infarction. This is a rupture of the heart muscle, which is accompanied by bleeding. Its characteristic symptoms are bloody cough and nosebleeds.
Diseases of the liver. Cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, can also provoke hepatic bleeding, which lowers blood pressure. Blood from the nose in this case appears due to the fragility of the capillaries and thinning of the mucous membranes.
Acute cardiovascular failure. It is accompanied by oxygen starvation and blood vessel spasm. If the capillaries are fragile, then after an attack, when the pressure rises sharply, blood may flow from the nose due to its differential.
Severe allergic reactions, accompanied by swelling of the mucous membranes. With edema, the capillaries are pinched, which burst, and blood flows through the nose.
Oncological diseases. Lead to a persistent decrease in immunity, weakness, hypotension. They are treated with potent toxic drugs that thin the blood and thin blood vessels. A slight pressure or the slightest damage to the mucous membrane is enough and blood can flow from the nose abundantly.

As you can see, these reasons are much more serious and most of them require a mandatory visit to a doctor. Otherwise, the underlying disease will develop unhindered, and blood from the nose will begin to appear more and more often. In some cases, even death is possible.

How to stop

But regardless of the blood pressure indicators, it is necessary to stop the blood from the nose in any case. The general scheme of actions is the same and does not depend on the reason:

Sit on a hard surface (chair, stool, steps, just on the ground).
Lower your head down so that your neck is relaxed and your chin is below shoulder level.
Pinch the lower part of the nose and nostrils with your fingers, but do not squeeze too much, and hold for 5-10 minutes.
If the blood continues to flow, blot it with a napkin and insert tightly rolled gauze turundas into the nose.
You can put ice on the bridge of your nose for a few minutes or attach a plastic bottle of cold water.

Important! If the above algorithm, how to stop a nosebleed, did not work in a maximum of 15 minutes, call an ambulance. Most likely, the cause is serious and medical attention is needed.

If you know that the bleeding has caused a sharp rise in blood pressure, you should take an antihypertensive drug before you start to stop the blood. When the tablets are not on hand, allow the blood to drain freely for a few minutes.Most likely, it will stop itself when the pressure drops to an acceptable level for the body.

Wrong actions

Improper actions during nosebleeds can cause it to worsen. Therefore, it is good to know clearly what to do in such situations:

Throwing your head back - this strains the cervical vertebrae, and the blood makes it not go out, but flow into the throat. In addition, at low pressure, there is a high risk of loss of consciousness, and with this position of the head in the event of a fall, you are guaranteed injury.
Rinse your nose with water, especially if you are not sure about its quality. Firstly, it will prevent the blood from clotting, and it will still flow. And secondly, by drawing in water with your nose and then blowing it out, you activate the work of the capillaries, increasing bleeding.
Blow out nosebleeds. This can blow out blood clots that have already formed to block damaged blood vessels.
Dripping vasoconstrictor drugs and other drops into the nose. No medications will work in this situation, since the running blood will simply wash them out of the nose. A sharp narrowing of blood vessels will only increase bleeding.
Change tampons often or keep them for a long time. They are entered for a maximum of 15 minutes. During this time, the blood has time to coagulate, and the mucous membrane is not severely injured. After removing the tampons, you just need to sit quietly for 10-15 minutes, while trying to breathe through your mouth, not your nose.

For at least 2-3 hours, after the nosebleeds have stopped, it is necessary to refrain from hot (and even more intoxicating!) Drinks, coffee and strong tea, smoking, intense physical exertion. However, people suffering from hypotension or hypertension, and so all this is contraindicated.

It is important to understand that stopping nosebleeds and even adjusting the pressure is not too much of a problem. And if such situations rarely happen, you just need not panic, but understand how to act correctly.

But when the problem arises regularly, it is necessary not to take temporary measures, but to eliminate the cause. And this can only be done in cooperation with a doctor.