Nosebleed is a condition of bleeding that comes out through the nose. the medical term epistaxis , Bleeding can last from a few minutes to several hours. Nosebleed is not a diagnosis of disease, but a symptom that indicates a certain disorder. Nosebleeds often cause concern, but it should be noted that this is something that is often encountered in people's everyday lives.
Nosebleeds are also often experienced by children, the habit of children picking their noses. This habit often causes tearing of the blood vessels at the front of the nostrils, resulting in nosebleeds, because the blood vessels in children's noses are more prone to tearing than adults, nosebleeds in children usually make adults more panicked, even though the first aid that must be done is the same , there is no special treatment in handling.
The following conditions can cause nosebleeds:
- Trauma (nose picking, accidents that cause fractures to the nasal bones)
- Blowing your nose too hard
- Nasal infection
- Nasal deformity
- Nasal tumors
- Systemic factors (hypertension, blood clotting disorders such as hemophilia)
- Use of blood thinners such as warfarin, heparin, aspirin
- Nasal irritation from gases, chemicals or hot air
- After nose surgery
- Entry of a foreign body into the nose
First aid that can be done if a nosebleed occurs:
- Stay calm
- Sit the patient with the head slightly bowed
- Press the front of the nose on both sides for 5-10 minutes
- If it still happens repeat the process again
- If necessary compress with ice / cold water
- Breathe through mouth, spit out blood, don't swallow
- If the bleeding doesn't stop immediately, quickly take it to the hospital's Emergency Room (ER).
When to go to the doctor/hospital:
- Nosebleeds don't stop with pressure
- Recurrent nosebleeds
- Nosebleeds in infants or children aged 2 years
- Nosebleed caused by a broken nose or injury
- Occurs after sinus surgery
- Causes airway obstruction
If you experience anything related to nosebleeds or this problem often recurs, it's a good idea to immediately have a health checkup with an Ear, Nose, Throat (TNT) specialist and take him straight to the hospital.
Article written by dr. Ferry Herjanto, Sp. ENT-KL (Ear Nose and Throat Specialist at EMC Cikarang Hospital).