Diseases & Conditions Blog

When your nose begins to bleed, it is usually sudden and from only one nostriL This may occur quite often. In most cases of nosebleed, unless the nose has been injured, there is no apparent explanation for the bleeding. One relatively common cause is a cold or other infection, which causes crusting that damages the sensitive membrane that lines the nose. Nosebleeds are seldom cause for concern, since they are unlikely to be a symptom of any other disorder. A generalized bleeding disorder such as thrombocytopenia could cause nosebleeds, but in such cases there is usually a good deal of bleeding else­where in your body, such as from the gums or under the skin.

What is the Treatment?

Self-help: Sit down and lean forward and breathe through your mouth. Close the lower part of your nose on the side that is bleeding by pressing it with the ball of your thumb. Keep pressing for five to ten minutes. This procedure stops most nosebleeds. Do not blow your nose for 12 hours. After that, blow gently so you will not dislodge the clot that has stopped the bleeding.

Professional help: If bleeding continues, consult your physician or, if necessary, go to an emergency room. Your physician will probably pack a strip of gauze into the bleeding nostril and tell you to leave it in for several hours. The purpose of the gauze packing is not simply to absorb the blood and stop its dripping from the nose. Rather, it is to apply pressure to the ruptured blood vessels. If the bleeding persists or keeps recurring, the bleeding area may have to be cauterized, or closed using heat. The doctor may take a

specimen of your blood to make sure you have not become anemic. This complication is unlikely, because generally, despite appearances, little blood is lost through nosebleeds.

The nose is the main entrance to your respiratory system. It is lined with a mucous membrane that contains many tiny blood vessels close to the surface. The front of the nose also has protective hairs. The nasal lining filters, moistens, and warms the air you breathe as it goes through the nasal passage toward your throat and lungs. The nasal passage runs along the top of the palate, or the shelf separating the nose from the mouth, and turns downward to join the passage from the mouth to the throat.The nasal passage is not a simple tube. A series of baffles called turbinates make the passage winding rather than straight. Also, in several places, it branches into sinuses, which are pairs of air-filled cavities in the bones of the skull. Nasal infections, which are discussed in the following articles, sometimes spread into the sinuses as well as into the rest of the respiratory system.

The nose is also the organ of smell, and you may not be able to smell anything if a disorder “stuffs up” your nose. Permanent loss of smell is rare.