How to quickly stop bleeding from the nose

Nosebleed or epistaxis is a common problem. Almost every person at least once in his life could observe the flow of blood from the nasal cavity. Sometimes the bleeding is very small and stops on its own in a minute or two. However, massive blood loss is also possible in this way. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to properly provide first aid in this situation. Each person should be able to properly stop nosebleeds.

Types of nosebleeds

The nasal cavity is conventionally divided into two parts: the front and rear. The anterior is the nasal passages, which are surrounded by the cartilaginous part of the nose. Simply put, this is what we can see with the naked eye. The back is closer to the joans, for her research requires special tools.

Bleeding is also divided into two types:

Front. Occurs, as a rule, from the capillaries of the submucosal layer. This blood is light, it does not flow much. Bleeding does not last long, it can stop on its own.

Back. This option is much more dangerous, but it is less common. The fact is that in the back of the nose contains the venous plexus. They help to warm the air coming from the environment, but the bleeding from them can be very massive. The veins are protected by the bones of the skull and rarely injured. Recognize venous blood by its dark cherry color.

Causes of epistaxis

There are many situations, diseases and pathological conditions due to which blood can flow from the nose. Of particular diagnostic importance is the sudden or frequent bleeding. It is worth paying special attention. Most often, epistaxis occurs due to the following reasons:

1. Injury. The bones and cartilages of the nose are very thin anatomical structures. They are easily injured by the impact. Due to the abundant blood supply, displacement of the bones of the nose almost always leads to bleeding.With that, it can be blood from both the anterior and posterior parts of the nose.
2. Foreign body. Any foreign object in the nasal cavity injures its mucous membrane. This can be a handle that accidentally got into the nose of those who have a habit of nibbling it and often do it automatically, missing the mouth. For the same reason, no finger can be inserted into the nasal cavity. Eliminating itchy nose in this way is not only not ethical, but also dangerous. This is a common cause of bleeding.
3. Inflammatory process. It can be caused by any infection acting on the upper respiratory tract or the inhalation of aggressive chemicals. During rhinitis, the nasal mucosa swells, its vessels overflow with blood. Because of this, any even minimal impact on the mucous membrane can lead to bleeding. Sometimes epistaxis during inflammation begins without apparent reason.
4. Arterial hypertension. Increasing the pressure inside the vessels contributes to their rupture and release of blood from them. The capillaries of the nose are very thin, which is why people with hypertension often have nosebleeds. This condition is dangerous becausethat during a hypertensive crisis, in addition to the capillaries of the nose, the vessels of the brain can be damaged, leading to strokes or transient circulatory disorders.
5. Acceptance of antiplatelet agents. They are also known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The most common of these is aspirin. In addition to reducing the inflammatory process, reducing temperature and relieving pain, it is able to reduce the aggregation ability of platelets. This means that any bleeding becomes massive due to the fact that the blood cannot coagulate. In this case, even minor damage to the vessels of the nose is accompanied by epistaxis.
6. Blood disorders. Massive bleeding can cause two groups of diseases: hemophilia and leukemia. At the first stage, some factors of the blood coagulation system are absent, which is why the bleeding cannot stop on its own. In the second, the blast cells displace the platelets, which causes bleeding.
7. Systemic vasculitis. This is a whole group of diseases that affect the blood vessels throughout the body. Some of them cause the formation of granulomas,some destroy the walls of capillaries or increase their permeability. Each of these diseases can cause bleeding.
8. Hypovitaminosis. A lack of vitamin C leads to an increase in the permeability of the vascular wall and the release of blood from the bloodstream. Lack of vitamin K adversely affects the blood coagulation system; without it, independent hemostasis is impossible.
9. Reception of alcohol. Alcohol-containing drinks, getting into the bloodstream, first spasm, and then excessively dilate blood vessels, which can lead to epistaxis.
10. Inhalation of dry air. Insufficiently humidified air injures the mucous like a foreign body. Drying of the tissues of the nasal cavity can lead to the formation of cracks and bleeding.
11. Nose sprays. Such drugs are an excellent remedy for rhinitis and congestion, but many of them aggressively affect the nasal mucosa. If you need long-term use of spray, it is better to choose those that contain seawater. This component promotes the regeneration of the mucous membrane.
12. Nasal deformity. It can be congenital.The abnormal development of some nasal cartilage or a curvature of the nasal septum is a predisposing factor for bleeding. In addition, diseases such as: syphilis and Wegener's granulomatosis contribute to the formation of deforming granulomas in the nose, and then their disintegration and bleeding.
13. Tumors. Neoplasm of the nasal cavity can sprout blood vessels and cause epistaxis. In addition, the tumor itself has a good blood supply and can also be a source of bleeding.

Providing emergency care for epistaxis

There is a clear sequence of actions to preserve the life and health of the victim. When detecting nosebleeds, you must:

1. To give the victim to sit down in a comfortable position for him, the torso should be bent forward. Head drooping is a common mistake.
2. Press the wings of the nose with your fingers from the outside to the inside. This stage can be performed only if there is no fracture of the bones of the nose.
3. Continue pressing for 3 minutes, if bleeding continues - go to the next stage.
4. Take cotton-gauze tampons, wet them in a solution of hydrogen peroxide and inject into both nostrils until you feel resistance.Do not take out tampons before the ambulance arrives. Upon detection of a fracture of the nasal bones, which is indicated by their displacement, points 2 and 3 should be ignored.
5. In order to find out if the bleeding has stopped after the tamponade, it is necessary to see if blood does not flow down the back of the throat. In this case, the victim can feel its taste in the mouth.

If the bleeding does not stop with the proposed methods or is quickly restored, it is necessary to take the victim to the hospital. In a hospital setting, a posterior tamponade of the nasal cavity or an operation with doping of the bleeding vessels may be performed to the patient.

What to do with frequent nosebleeds

If this symptom occurs frequently, the first thing to do is to find the cause of the bleeding. To do this, you need to consult a doctor and undergo a series of studies on the most likely diseases. In addition, you must stop taking the usual drugs, first of all - aspirin.

At home, you can monitor the change in blood pressure during bleeding. If the appearance of blood is accompanied by its rise, most likely the cause is precisely in arterial hypertension.Then it should be treated.

Vitamin C supplementation often helps to cope with recurrent bleeding. With hypovitaminosis, in addition to the nose, gums may bleed. So, a course of treatment with vitamin C will not be superfluous for any bleeding.

Thus, we can conclude that epistaxis is a manifestation of a multitude of pathological conditions. First, it is necessary to provide first aid to the patient and stop the blood, and then to look for the cause of the condition. There is a clear sequence of actions that everyone should know. Following this scheme will save the life and health of the victim.

Video: how to stop nosebleeds