Bleeding from inside the nose is a common complaint presenting an emergency. Epistaxis is often a frightening sight to the patient and the attendants, especially if the patient is a kid. There are a variety of causes which can lead to bleeding from the nose.
Local causes
- Finger nail trauma due to excessive nose picking. This is the most common cause among the children.
- Trauma to nose due to road traffic accident or being hit on the nose by a ball or fist.
- Fracture of the nasal bones.
- Viral rhinitis (infection of the nose).
- Acute sinusitis
- Foreign bodies in nose
- Deviation of the nasal septum
- Atmospheric changes such as sudden movement to high altitudes.
- Any growth in the nasal cavity, like polyps, benign or malignant tumors.
- Hypertension – commonly seen in old age
- Heart diseases
- Pregnancy
- Bleeding disorders – when the patient has a deficiency in the system responsible for control of bleeding there is an abnormal tendency to bleed.
- Drugs- like excessive use of analgesics for pain.
- Acute general infections like typhoid, pneumonia, malaria, dengue fever, measles etc.
- Idiopathic - at times the cause of bleeding may not be clear.
- Don’t panic because most of the time bleeding can be controlled by pinching the nose tightly for about five minutes.
- Ice compress can be applied in the nose. They cause bleeding blood vessels to constrict & bleeding stops.
- If bleeding is profuse the patient should be taken to the doctor. It may require inserting packs in the nose to stop the bleeding.
- Hypertensive patients should take their blood pressure controlling medication regularly.
- Excessive nose picking is a very common cause of bleeding both in children & young adults and should be discouraged.
