Nosebleeds are extremely common, and research has shown that more than 60 percent of the world population has experienced them at least once in their lives. More often than not, there is nothing to fear when you notice blood coming out of your nose, but it is always better to have as much information as possible about this condition than to just brush it off every time it happens. Here, we are going to list some things that you need to know about nosebleeds, also known as epistaxis, in children and adults.
1. When to be concerned?
Since this condition is pretty common in both young people and adults, this begs the question of when you should be concerned about blood coming out of your nose. As we previously mentioned, more often than not, there is nothing that you should fear, however, there are some instances where you might want to get checked out or just visit the emergency room.
If you are on blood thinners, including aspirin, or if you cannot stop the bleeding for more than 20 or 30 minutes, it is best if you talk to your GP. If you have been diagnosed with any type of bleeding disorder or if you have blood coming out of your gums or mouth along with your nose, you should also act fast and go to the doctor.
2. What can be done to help with the condition?
In most cases, you don’t have to do anything about this condition, and you don’t have to worry. As you can read in this article, there are first-aid measures that you can use to stop the bleeding, and that should be enough to make it stop for more guidance do check this.
You can also make sure that you are implementing proper vitamins and nutrients, and check your blood pressure to see if the bleeding is related to it. In case the epistaxis is just a symptom of a more serious condition, then your specialist can help you out with that and recommend proper treatment.
3. What are the underlying causes?
There are many reasons why you or your child may experience this condition, and the most common one is fragile blood vessels that can get irritated and start bleeding easily. This can happen after an exercise or because of dry or cold air. Infections are another thing that could lead to this condition, as well as allergies, or a clotting problem. They can also occur if the patient has fallen, hit their nose, or they can also happen because of nose-picking.
According to ENT specialist Dr. Jeeve Kanagalingam and his team of Dr. Annabelle Leong and Dr. Chris Hobbs from www.entclinic.sg, it is important to understand the cause of the nosebleed in the patient. Once the correct evaluation is made – eg juvenile angiofibromas the corrective steps can be taken.
4. Causes that are of concern
Unfortunately, epistaxis is not always naïve, and sometimes, it can be a sign of something more serious happening in the body. One of those conditions is juvenile angiofibromas in children, and in this case, you need to act as soon as possible and get your child to be checked by a specialist. Acute sinusitis, chronic sinusitis, hemophilia, and deviated septum are some of the more serious reasons why you may be experiencing them.
In some rare cases, they can be a sign of cancer, along with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, leukemia, nasal and paranasal tumors, immune thrombocytopenia, as well as polyps. All of these conditions should not be taken lightly and you should always talk to a specialist if you suspect that something like this is a cause of your condition.
5. Nasopharyngeal cancer in adults
Even though most of the time, there is no serious reason why this condition is happening, in some cases, it can be just a symptom of another condition. One of the things that cause epistaxis is nasopharyngeal cancer in adults.
This is a condition where malignant cells form in the upper part of the throat that is located right behind the nose. Some of the signs of this condition include having trouble while talking, breathing, hearing, and you can also experience frequent nosebleeds if you have this condition.
Some of the patients diagnosed with this condition also experience frequent headaches, pain in their ears, as well as sore throat, and lumps in their noses and necks. If your doctor suspects that you may have this disease, they will do a series of tests to get the proper diagnosis.
There are three main types of treatment that are used, depending on the stage of the cancer as well as the overall condition of the patient. Radiation therapy is the most common one, and in some cases, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy as well. If it is needed, these things can be combined with surgery that will remove all the cancerous cells from the nasopharynx.
6. First-aid measures for simple bleeds
One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to nosebleeds is that you need to tilt your head back to stop the bleeding. This is a huge no-no and it could lead to you swallowing the blood. Instead, you should tilt your head forward, let some of that blood just bleed out, and then pinch your nose just above your nostril. Try to keep pressure for about ten to 15 minutes. This will help stop the bleeding and will promote healthy coagulation.
Don’t forget to breathe through your mouth during this time and try not to inhale through your nose. After the bleeding has stopped, rinse your face and your nose to make sure that it has fully stopped. If it persists for more than 30 minutes, reach out to your doctor or go to the emergency room.
Knowing these things will help you act fast in case you or your child has epistaxis, and you will be more educated on what the possible cause could be. If you experience this frequently, it is always better to consult with your GP and make sure there is nothing serious happening. Remember not to panic and know that in most cases, there is nothing to fear.
