Whats with Nose Bleeding?

Nose bleed

Bleeding through the nose is a condition that is common in young and adult. But sufferers have always employed a wrong tactic to stop it.

 The bleeding usually comes from a blood vessel at the very front part of the nose. Anterior nosebleeds are usually easy to control, either by measures that can be performed at home or by a doctor. Posterior nosebleeds are much less common than anterior nosebleeds. They tend to occur more often in elderly people. The bleeding usually comes from an artery in the back part of the nose. These nosebleeds are more complicated and usually require admission to the hospital and management by an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose, and throat specialist).

Nosebleed in children could be as a result of trauma or tumour, but in adults, the likely cause is hypertension, especially when there is no injury in the nose. Nosebleed also occurs in people that have bleeding disorder, which is called haemophilia. This means when the blood doesn’t clot because of a deficiency.”

Causes include excessive nose picking especially during a harsh and dry season, which will further aggravate the condition. But for more serious problems, like a vascular and or platelet disorder, the bleeding might be more intense or prolonged. The nosebleed can last for as long as the trigger persists. “It can be treated based on what the primary problem is. For example, a nose picker should be discouraged from the act. For deeper problems such as the platelet disorder, the individual will benefit from replacement therapy. Once an individual has nosebleed, he or she should seek immediate medical attention so as not to aggravate the condition.

The flow of blood normally stops when the blood clots which may be encouraged by direct pressureapplied by pinching the soft fleshy part of the nose. This applies pressure to Little's area (Kiesselbach's area), the source of the majority of nose bleeds and promotes clotting. Pressure should be firm and be applied for at least five minutes and up to 20 minutes; tilting the head forward will help decrease the chance of nausea and airway obstruction.
If these simple measures do not work then medical intervention may be needed to stop bleeding. In the first instance this can take the form of chemical cautery of any bleeding vessels or packing of the nose with ribbon gauze or an absorbent dressing (called anterior nasal packing). Such procedures are best carried out by a medical professional. Chemical cauterisation is most commonly conducted using local application of silver nitrate compound to any visible bleeding vessel. This is a painful procedure and the nasal mucosa should be anaesthetised first, preferably with the addition of topical adrenaline to further reduce bleeding. If bleeding is still uncontrolled or no focal bleeding point is visible then the nasal cavity should be packed with a sterile dressing, which by applying pressure to the nasal mucosa will tamponade the bleeding point.