Have you ever got a nosebleed and wondered what exactly you should do to stop it? Before your jump on to taking your regular nasal drug delivery, understand that nosebleeds can be pretty frightening, but fortunately, they usually aren’t a sign of anything dangerous. They can also be treated easily at home. In medical terminology, nosebleeds are referred to as epistaxis. Your nose is located in the middle of your face, and in its lining a large number of blood vessels run.
When a nosebleed occurs, blood flows from one or both nostrils. It can be light or heavy and can last from a few seconds to 15 minutes. While nosebleeds are mostly normal, if blood doesn’t stop flowing for more than 30 minutes, visit the ENT Specialist in islamabad.
Before we proceed with treating nosebleeds, here’s something you should know! Nosebleeds are categorized into two kinds according to the site of the bleeding.
1. Anterior Nosebleed
An anterior nosebleed begins in the front of your nose, on the lower septum, i.e, the part of the wall separating the two sides of your nose. Since capillaries and blood vessels located in this area are fragile, they can easily break and bleed. Anterior nosebleeds are the most common type of nosebleeds and can easily be treated at home.
2. Posterior Nosebleed
A posterior nosebleed occurs deep inside the nose. It is caused by damage in the larger blood vessels located at the back of your nose, near the throat. This is a more serious condition and can result in heavy bleeding. If it doesn’t stop soon, the blood can flow down the back of the throat. So if you have this type of nosebleed, seek medical care right away.
What Causes Nosebleeds?
It is important to know what is causing your nosebleed so that it can be treated accordingly. Nosebleeds can have many causes, and thankfully, most of them are not serious. Here are some of them:
- Dry air
- Nose picking
- Cold, i.e an upper respiratory function
- Sinusitis
- Chemical irritants such as cleaning supplies and chemical fumes at the workplace
- Cocaine and other drugs ingested through the nose
- Injury to the nose or face
- Blowing your nose with unnecessary force
- Inserting an object into your nose
- High altitudes
- Persistent use of nasal sprays and medication to treat itchy and runny nose. These sprays can dry out the nasal membrane, causing bleeding
- Deviated septum. This is an abnormal shape of the wall separating the two sides of the nose
Other, less common causes include the following:
- High blood pressure
- Frequent use of alcohol
- Bleeding disorders such as leukemia or hemophilia
- Nasal tumor
- Facial or nasal surgery
- Pregnancy
How Do We Treat Nosebleeds?
If you’ve had a ball thrown at your face and got a nosebleed, here’s what you have to do:
- First off, sit down and firmly pinch the soft part of your nose that is above the nostrils for at least 10-15 minutes.
- Next, lean forward and breathe through your mouth. This can help drain the blood into your nose instead of down the back of your throat.
- Cover an ice pack with a towel and place it on the bridge of your nose. If you don’t have an ice pack, a bag of frozen vegetables should work just as well.
- Do not lie down. Stay in an upright position to reduce the blood pressure in the blood vessels of your nose. This can help prevent further bleeding.
If you follow the steps listed above, your bleeding should stop in a few minutes. However, if it proceeds further than 30 minutes, you should get treatment from an ENT Specialist in Lahore. Depending on the cause of your nosebleed, your doctor can opt for any one of the following treatment options:
- Nasal Packing
A gauze, nasal sponge or inflatable latex balloon is inserted in your nose to create pressure at the bleeding site. It is removed after 24-48 hours.
- Cauterization
A chemical substance or heat energy is used to seal the bleeding blood vessel.
- Medication
Prescription drugs can be given to control bleeding.
- Litigation
The bleeding blood vessel is stitched to stop bleeding.
- Surgery
A surgical procedure can be performed to repair a broken nose.