Causes of nosebleeds in adults and children

Have you had a nosebleed? Perhaps almost everyone has experienced a nosebleed at least once in their life. When you or other people around you experience nosebleeds, you might think that the nosebleed is due to heat. More than that, it turns out that nosebleeds can be caused by many things, from minor to serious conditions. The article below will review various conditions that can cause nosebleeds.

What is a nosebleed?

A nosebleed is bleeding that flows from the inside of the nose. Nosebleeds can occur at any age, from children to adults. When someone has a nosebleed, you may see it as scary and dangerous, but generally a nosebleed is a minor annoyance.

Nosebleeds can be divided into two types based on where the bleeding is coming from, namely anterior and posterior.

• Anterior nosebleeds usually comes from bleeding that occurs in the blood vessels of the passage front of the nose. Usually these nosebleeds are easier to control and are most common.
• Posterior nosebleeds is a nosebleed that occurs due to bleeding in the blood vessels of the passage back of the nose. This nosebleed is usually associated with high blood pressure and requires special treatment. Usually posterior nosebleeds are more common in older people.

The causes of nosebleeds are based on the type

Nosebleeds can be caused by a variety of things, ranging from minor to things related to your health condition. The lining of your nose is made up of many tiny blood vessels that break easily, making it very easy for nosebleeds or nosebleeds to occur.

Based on the type of nosebleed, the causes of frequent nosebleeds can also be different.

Anterior nosebleeds

For the most part, the cause of frequent nosebleeds can belong to the group of anterior nosebleeds. This type of nosebleed is usually more common in young children (around 2-10 years of age) and is usually not a sign of anything serious.

Common causes of anterior nosebleeds include:

• Picking your nose too deep or with sharp nails
• Blow your nose very hard or harsh
• Nasal congestion, usually caused by infections (such as colds and flu)
• Sinusitis
• Allergic rhinitis
• Dry air
• Being in the highlands
• Excessive use of nasal decongestants
• Minor injury to the nose
• A crooked nose, this can occur from birth or due to an injury to the nose

Posterior nosebleeds

This type of nosebleed occurs less frequently, but usually occurs more frequently in adults. Posterior nosebleeds are usually more severe and require serious treatment.

Common causes of posterior nosebleeds are:

• Trauma to the nose, which can be caused by a blow to the head or a fall, or a broken nose
• Nasal surgery
• Tumors in the nasal cavity
• Atherosclerosis
• Take certain drugs
• Blood clotting disorders, such as in hemophilia or Von Willebrand's disease
• Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), an inherited genetic condition that affects blood vessels
• Leukemia
• High blood pressure

Common causes of nosebleeds

In general, the causes of frequent nosebleeds can vary from person to person. The cause of frequent nosebleeds can be minor or can be a sign of certain diseases.

The following are various causes of frequent nosebleeds, including:

1. Dry air

The most common cause of nosebleeds is dry air. Usually this condition will occur more frequently in cold climates when there are many upper respiratory infections and when temperature and humidity fluctuate dramatically.

In addition, changes in temperature from a cold outside environment to a warm, dry house will make the nose more prone to bleeding.

However, not only in cold climates, nosebleeds can occur in hot, dry climates with low humidity or changing seasons. This climate can cause the lining of the nose to dry up, crack and bleed.

2. Use of blood thinners

Various blood-thinning drugs, such as aspirin, warfarin, clopidogrel bisulfate, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, can also cause frequent nosebleeds.

Blood thinners change the blood's ability to clot and also clot. As a result, bleeding in the nose is unavoidable and difficult to stop, because it causes nosebleeds.

These medications are usually used for conditions that have a risk of causing blood clots and certain heart conditions, such as atrial fibrillation.

3. Experiencing injury to the nose

Accidental injury to the nose can also cause the blood vessels in the nostrils to break and eventually bleed.

This condition is usually found as a cause of nosebleeds in children that occur suddenly. Children tend to scratch or rub their noses frequently. In addition, the blood vessels in the child's nose area are still weak, so they have the potential to experience nosebleeds when there is a hard impact or a fairly hard blow.

Adults are also at risk for injuries that can result in nosebleeds, for example after being hit or hit by a hard object. However, the blood vessels in the nose of an adult are arguably stronger or normal, so it is rare to experience a nosebleed after scratching or rubbing the nose.

4. Often pick up the nostrils

Who here still maintains the habit of picking nose? Well, it turns out that picking up the nose too hard also has the potential to cause nosebleeds. Even more so if you forget to cut nails that are too long, so that the nails that enter the nostrils are at risk of injuring the blood vessels in the nose.

Not only that, but picking your nose is also a bad habit for nasal hygiene, even though the goal is to clean your nose. This is because your fingers may be carrying germs through your nostrils.

As a result, you can get a disease or infection from the germs that you carry, such as a cold or sinusitis. These diseases can actually make your nose more prone to bleeding, you know.

5. Certain health problems

The most feared cause of nosebleeds is due to certain health problems. Common health conditions associated with nosebleeds are nasal and respiratory problems, such as:

• Cold
• Flu
• Inflammation of the sinus cavities (sinusitis)
• Nasal polyps
• Crooked nasal bones (deviation of the septum)

If the nosebleed is accompanied by other symptoms, such as headaches, you may need to be aware of other diseases as the cause of the condition. Some of them are kidney, liver disease, excessive alcohol consumption, and other health problems that can reduce the body's ability to clot blood.

Common health problems that cause nosebleeds are hypertension and congestive heart failure. In fact, allergic rhinitis can also trigger frequent nosebleeds due to irritation of the nasal lining.

Diseases that cause blood clotting disorders are also at risk of causing sufferers to experience more bleeding in the nose. Some of the diseases associated with this condition are hemophilia and Von Willebrand's disease.

6. Stress

The stressful state of mind is thought to have contributed to nosebleeds. An article from a journal Rhinology reported that nosebleeds can also occur when the body is experiencing chronic stress and anxiety.

In fact, people who are frequently stressed and anxious are more likely to experience chronic nosebleeds that come back and often come on suddenly. Stress or anxiety does not directly result in nosebleeds. There is usually another condition accompanying your stress or anxiety that causes nosebleeds.

7. Pregnancy

Nosebleeds tend to occur more frequently during pregnancy. You don't need to panic and worry, because light nosebleeds with occasional intensity during pregnancy are generally not dangerous for the condition of the mother and the fetus.

Hormonal changes are usually the most common cause of nosebleeds in pregnant women. Frequent nosebleeds during pregnancy are usually not a cause for excessive concern.

High levels of hormones during pregnancy can increase the blood flow of estrogen and progesterone to all mucous membranes in the body of pregnant women, including the nose.

This membrane will then swell and expand to put pressure on the blood vessels in it. As a result, blood vessels can burst and cause nosebleeds during pregnancy.

Plus, the pregnancy phase can cause the blood vessels in the nose to widen, and increase the blood supply to the nose of pregnant women. As a result, the blood vessels around the nose easily break and cause nosebleeds.

8. Cancer

Most of the nosebleeds will go away on their own without serious medical treatment. However, frequent nosebleeds can also be a sign of a serious illness, such as cancer.

The cause of nosebleeds can be a symptom of several cancers. Here are three types of cancer that are often associated with nosebleeds.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is cancer that occurs in the nasopharynx, located at the top of the pharynx (throat), behind the nose. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common type of cancer in this area. SCC arises from the lining of the nasal tissue.

Recurrent nosebleeds are a common symptom of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This cancer not only causes nosebleeds, but also causes the mucus that comes out to always contain blood spots.

Leukemia

The cause of frequent nosebleeds can also be a symptom of leukemia. People with leukemia often bruise and bleed easily.

Leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells, which blocks the white blood from fighting infection. When a person has leukemia, their bone marrow is unable to produce enough red blood cells and platelets to supply the body's needs.

Lymphoma

Lymphoma develops in lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) that fight infection. Abnormal lymphocytes can interfere with your immune system. This will reduce resistance to outside harmful factors.

Because lymph nodes and other lymphatic tissues occur throughout the body, lymphoma can appear in almost any part of the body, including the nose or sinuses (the air-filled part of the nasal cavity behind the facial bones). The growth of lymphoid tissue in the nose or sinuses can erode the inside of the blood vessels and cause nosebleeds.

First aid when a nosebleed occurs

If you or your child has a nosebleed, the key is to stay calm and don't panic. You can take the following steps to treat a nosebleed, regardless of the main cause:

1. Sit straight and point your body forward

Most people when there is a nosebleed lie down or tilt their head back. This is a wrong position and is not recommended.

The correct way is to keep yourself straight and point your body slightly forward. This can prevent blood from getting back into the nose or airways. If you lie down, the blood will actually get back in and can block the airway.

While the blood is still flowing, don't accidentally try to sneeze or get blood out of your nose. This can actually make it difficult to stop nosebleeds and stimulate the blood that has begun to dry up to return to flow again.

2. Squeeze the nostrils for 10 minutes

To treat nosebleeds, squeeze your nostrils using your fingers (thumb and index finger) for 10 minutes. This action aims to put emphasis on the bleeding point so that the blood stops flowing.

While you are squeezing your nose to stop the bleeding, you can try to temporarily breathe through your mouth.

3. Cold compress

You can also put a cold compress on your nose to make the blood stop faster. However, don't stick the ice cubes directly to your nose. Wrap ice cubes in a soft cloth or towel, then attach it to the nose to treat nosebleeds.

4. If the nosebleed has not stopped, see a doctor immediately

If the blood continues for more than 20 minutes and the actions you have taken have not yet produced results, you should immediately see a doctor for further medical treatment. You may be given medication for nosebleeds that match the cause of your nosebleeds.

In addition, if you have difficulty breathing, lose a lot of blood due to nosebleeds, swallow a lot of blood until you vomit, and have a nosebleed due to a serious accident, you should also see a doctor for further examination and treatment.