Bleeding noses can be scary and put the person and the people around in severe trauma. But they are very rarely related to serious health conditions. In many cases nosebleeding is a result of sensitive blood vessels that are inside the nose. So fragile these blood vessels even a small blow can make them bleed.

It is a common scene in children, especially the ones in the age between 3 to 10. As they age, these blood vessels become less fragile on their own, reducing the chances of bleeding nose issues significantly.

Continue reading the blog to understand the types, causes, treatment and preventive measures of nose bleeding in children and in adults.

The Types of Nosebleeds -

Commonly there are two kinds of nosebleeds and they are known as anterior nosebleed and posterior nosebleed.

• Anterior Nosebleed - As the name implies, this occurs when the frontal blood vessels in the nose get impacted and start bleeding. This type of bleeding is not dangerous and require minimal medical help in almost all cases.
• Posterior Nosebleed - This occurs deep inside the nose and considered dangerous as the blood may flow back through the throat leading mild to severe medical situations. The person needs to be rushed to the nearest ENT hospital or ENT specialist at the earliest.

Tip: Not everyone can differentiate the nosebleed, especially if it happens in children the parents can freak out and could not find the difference. One sign to find which bleed is which, check the time when the bleed started and if it continues for more than 20 minutes, it is essential to seek medical help from a nose specialist.

Causes of Nosebleeds -

As mentioned earlier, nosebleeds are common in children and even in adults who have fragile blood vessels in the nose. Also nosebleeds need not be considered even though they are sudden.

But medical help is imperative if the person is getting frequent nosebleeds for no apparent reason. Here are a few causes for sudden nosebleeds.

Common Causes:

• Due to dry air - Nasal membranes keep the blood vessels wet and when they get dried up due to external weather regulators such as central air conditioning, the person experiences nosebleed.
• Due to certain medications - Medicines that are used for decongestants, sinus issues, allergies and antihistamines can lead to nasal membrane dryness and cause nosebleeds.
• Due to foreign objects in the nose - It is commonly seen in kids who keep foreign objects in their noses and try to pick the nose.
• External blows to the nose - This factor is also common in children who play and when a ball or something hits their nose hard enough to crack the blood vessel ends.

Medical Causes: In certain cases blood pressure can cause nosebleeds. Apart from that, people with bleeding disorders, blood-clotting disorders and cancer will show bleeding nose as a symptom. 

Diagnosis and Treatment -

A thorough physical examination is the first step your ENT doctor will conduct in determining the root cause of a nosebleed. Followed by the physical examination, the diagnosis process can lead to medication or further medical tests to find the exact cause will be conducted.

These further medical tests include CBC (complete blood count), nasal endoscopy, PTT (partial thromboplastin time), CT scan and X-ray of the nose.

Once the diagnostic results determine the root cause, the doctor may suggest first aid steps for anterior nosebleed as it could be treated at home. Once the nosebleed is confirmed as anterior, the person needs to close the tip of the nostrils, lean forward and release the nostrils for 10 minutes. If the bleeding is not stopped, you need to consult the doctor.    

For posterior nosebleeds, you need to seek immediate medical help. However, follow this first aid for this type of bleed as well.

Preventive Measures for Nosebleeds -

• Keep the nostrils and nose using a humidifier
• Teach children to cover their nose while playing and ensure they refrain from inserting foreign objects and from picking their nose.
• Reduce the use of medication such as aspirin as much as possible with your doctor’s help.

Conclusion:

Even though nosebleeds are common in most cases, it is always safer to seek medical help. Consult your nearest ENT specialist to make sure the root cause of the issue is determined and medically addressed.