Reasons for blood in the nasal cavity

In TV dramas, we can all see that the actors' noses will bleed when they are hit, which fully demonstrates the fragility of the nose. When the weather is dry or when you get angry, it is easy to cause nose bleeding, but many people don’t know the specific reasons. Let’s take a look at the reasons why there is blood in the nasal cavity.

1. Local causes

(1) Nose injury ① Mechanical trauma such as car accidents, falls, boxing injuries and nose picking are common causes of nosebleeds. ② Barotraumatic injury: During high-altitude flying or diving, if the air pressure difference inside and outside the sinuses changes too much suddenly, the blood vessels in the mucosa of the nasal cavity and sinuses will dilate, rupture and bleed. ③Radiotherapy injury During and after radiotherapy of the head and neck, the nasal mucosa may become congested and edematous, or the epithelium may fall off, and nose bleeding may also occur.

(2) Nasal septum deviation often occurs near the bony ridge or spine (rectiform process) or on the convex surface of the deviated nasal septum. The mucosa in this area is thinner and the direction of air flow changes here, so the mucosa becomes dry, causing blood vessels to rupture and bleed. Patients with nasal septum perforation may suffer from recurrent nosebleeds due to dryness, erosion, and shedding of the mucosa at the edge of the perforation.

(3) Nasal inflammation ① Non-specific nasal inflammation Acute rhinosinusitis, dry rhinitis, atrophic rhinitis, etc. are prone to cause nose bleeding, but the amount of bleeding is generally not much. ② Specific infections of the nose such as tuberculosis, lupus, syphilis, leprosy and diphtheria can cause nose bleeding due to mucosal erosion, ulcers, granulation tissue and nasal septum perforation.

(4) Tumors of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses and nasopharynx. The most likely to cause nosebleeds are septal hemangioma, nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, hemorrhagic nasal polyps and malignant tumors of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Minor nose bleeding or blood in the mucus is one of the main early symptoms of malignant tumors.

(5) Foreign bodies in the nasal cavity are common in children, and most cases are unilateral nosebleeds. Because foreign bodies remain in the nasal cavity for a long time, they can cause erosion and bleeding of the nasal mucosa. Animal foreign bodies in the nasal cavity, such as leeches, can cause repeated heavy nosebleeds.

There are many reasons for blood in the nose, which depends on your own situation. For example, you pick your nose too hard, causing the nasal mucosa to rupture and bleed, or the food you have eaten recently caused you to get inflamed. You should pay attention to nasal hygiene and do not pick your nose with your hands. Appropriate nose dirt can protect the nose.