Nosebleed: Why it happens and How to Treat it?

Nosebleed, known as, Epistaxis is a common problem faced by most people at least once in their lifetime. The loss of blood from the tissue that lines your nose is called nose bleeding. It can strike both nostrils, but most often occurs in only one nostril. Even though, nosebleeds are a nuisance, but they can be scary, it can happen easily because the blood vessels and tissues of the nose are very delicate.

There are 2 types of Nosebleed: Anterior Nosebleed, that originate in the front of the nose, and Posterior Nosebleed that start in the back on the nose.

What causes Nosebleed?

There are many blood vessels in the nose that helps the air one breaths to keep it warm and humid. These small blood vessels lie close to the surface, making them easy to injure which can cause a nosebleed. The most common causes of nosebleeds are:

• If the nose is scratched inside or gets hit, the vessels may break and cause your nose to bleed. The most common cause is “picking” the nose.
• A blood vessel inside the nose is very close to the surface so blowing the nose too hard or picking the nose may make it bleed. Frequent bleeding of nose within a few days are usually from the same spot where the clot has formed and is then pulled off.
• A person with frequent colds or allergies may rub the nose often which can cause the vessels to break and bleed.
• Home heating systems may dry the air in your home that in turn may dry the lining of the nose and cause bleeding.

How to Treat Nosebleed?

Here are the following ways if your nose is bleeding, you can:

• Lie down and apply pressure on the bleeding area to stop bleeding.
• Place ice packs around the nose.
• Apply moisturizing ointment to stop further irritation.
• If a person has posterior nose bleeding put gauze inside the nose to the bleeding source.
• Head over for septal surgery if the curved septum is cause for recurrent bleeding.
• You can also go for ligation of the arteries that lead to blood loss.

On an average, 60% of the global population faces nose-bleed at least once in a lifetime, whereas, only 10% of cases indicate a serious issue. Although, nose bleeding is not pondered as a serious health condition, yet it is important to consult your doctor if the bleeding does not stop.

Over to you:

Nosebleeds are common and not usually serious. Hence, keeping the air humidified in your home, avoiding picking your nose, and using nasal mists to keep your nasal passages moist are good ways to help prevent nosebleeds.