Chronic Nosebleeds - Everything You Should Know

We all have that one friend whose nose tends to bleed even at the poke of a finger. As scary as the scene might appear, nosebleeds are common. They may occur in some children.

Nosebleeds can also indicate some serious underlying medical condition but this is very rare. If you are an adult and experiencing nosebleeds frequently, you should probably get screened.

Nosebleeds - What Exactly Happens?

Millions of blood vessels end at the base of your front and back of the nose. The ends of blood vessels are fragile and can bleed due to a small impact, stress, and even due to the dry air.

When the nosebleeds occur for a long time, the condition becomes chronic. Usually, this would be healed on its own with age. If the problem persists, book an appointment with your nearest ENT hospital for screening.

Types of Nosebleeds

Based on the region of the impact, there are two types of nosebleeds - anterior and posterior.

Anterior nosebleeds can occur when the blood vessels in the front base of the nose bleed.

Posterior occurs when the back of the nose bleeds. If the bleeding occurs more than 20 minutes, it could be due to the posterior nosebleed.

Causes of Nosebleeds

A nosebleed can be triggered for various reasons. Sudden, frequent, and infrequent nosebleeds might be due to the serious conditions.

• Cold and Nasal Allergies - Anterior nosebleeds can be triggered by a cold, frequent sneezing, nose blowing, allergies and coughing.
• Injuries - An impact, be it a punch or a fall, on the frontal nose region can lead to nosebleeds.
• Dryness - Dryness is the major cause behind most of the nosebleeds in children living in dry, and heated climates. This can dry out the nasal membranes leading to crusting inside the nose. This could lead to irritation which may cause bleeding.
• Nose Picking - Children tend to pick their nose frequently. If this happens when inside the nose is crusted, it can lead to bleeding.
• Foreign Objects - This is common in toddlers. If you observe a foreign object inside the nose and it starts bleeding, reach out to an ENT specialist at the earliest.

In some cases, deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, can also passively contribute to the nosebleeds.

Other reasons include high blood pressure, clots in the blood, excessive use of aspirin, and respiratory infection. However, these are commonly observed in adults.

The Right Time to Seek Medical Help

When a nosebleed occurs, following a few simple steps like sitting upright, tipping the head upwards, and catching the blood with a tissue or a damp cloth should stop the bleeding.

However, if the bleed doesn’t stop for more than 20 minutes, you should seek proper medical help, irrespective of the type of the bleeding.

Diagnosis for Nosebleeds

Your ENT doctor might perform a thorough physical examination to determine the cause primarily. 

Upon ruling out the presence of foreign objects, and injuries the doctor will inquire about the medical history and symptoms.

Based on the symptoms or the recent injuries, your doctor will plot out the diagnosis process that includes various tests.

Most likely the complete blood count, partial thromboplastin time, nasal endoscopy, and imaging tests like x-ray and CT scan.

Treatment for Nosebleeds

The doctor recommends a treatment course if the nosebleed is due to a medical condition or could recur. Here is a glimpse of the treatment course for anterior and posterior nosebleeds.

Anterior Nosebleed

The treatment for anterior nosebleed is more of a first-aid procedure. The bleeding could be stopped by closing the nostrils with a cold compress.

• The person needs to breathe through the mouth
• Should sit upright with head slightly tilted up
• Should not lie down as swallowing blood can irritate stomach
• Doctor’s advice is recommended if the bleeding does not stop after 20-30 minutes

Posterior Nosebleed

This type of nosebleeds are not common and often associated with serious consequences. Doctor’s help is needed immediately.

• Identify the type of bleed and seek medical help immediately
• These type of nosebleeds should not be treated with just first-aid procedures
• The nosebleed qualifies to be treated out of an emergency room (ER)

Nosebleeds - Prevention

Finding the root cause for the nosebleed makes it easy for the parents to take preventive actions.

• Start using a humidifier if your child’s bleeding occurs during hot or humid weather.
• Take care of your kid not to pick their nose and insert any foreign objects.
• Using sprays or gels that keep nasal passages moist would be helpful.

Visit Vikram ENT hospital in Coimbatore to find better solutions for all your nose, throat, and ear related medical issues. And, follow our blog for latest updates on ENT health issues and how to take care of them.