Nosebleeds are usually a harmless phenomenon that, especially in children, can occur spontaneously from time to time without having a more serious disease value. Causes can be local phenomena in the nose, as well as general diseases that cause nosebleeds as a possible symptom. You can find out how to stop nosebleeds more quickly at How to stop a nosebleed?Nosebleeds in children and adolescents can occur spontaneously at times because the walls of their blood vessels are sometimes quite thin during growth, are only just below the surface of the mucous membrane and can tear under physical exertion. Under stress caused by a blow or a fall on the nose, bleeding from the nasal vessels can occur, as well as when foreign bodies introduced into the nose damage the vessels inside the nose. This is especially observed in children when Lego bricks or similar objects are pushed into the nose, but nose picking is also a possible trigger.
Causes of nosebleeds
Nosebleeds can occur in dry, air-conditioned air as well as when the nasal mucous membranes are exposed to allergies or colds. Certain anatomical changes within the nose or in adjacent areas, which usually do not cause any discomfort, such as the formation of a spur of the cartilaginous nasal skeleton, can lead to bleeding due to weakening of the overlying mucous membrane. Tumors in the nose and throat can also be the cause of constant nosebleeds.
If nosebleeds occur particularly frequently and are perceived as disturbing, the vessels that trigger them can become sclerosed. One of the most common causes of nosebleeds is a cold. Quite a few people suffer more frequently from nosebleeds when they have a cold.
The causes are the inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane and the resulting increased susceptibility of the thin blood vessels. Constant nose-blowing and manipulation of the nose are also causes of increased nosebleeds in a cold. In this case, the nosebleed does not require any specific therapy, as it stops of its own accord after the cold has subsided.
If nosebleeds are still a problem after this, further clarification may be useful. If you suffer from frequent nosebleeds, high blood pressure is one of the most common causes. The capillaries in the nasal mucosa are also affected by high blood pressure.
Nosebleeds are often the first sign of high blood pressure. Causes of nosebleeds in hypertension are damage to blood vessels that are not designed for this pressure. If the pressure continues, these vessels can burst spontaneously.
It is important to take this sign seriously and to initiate a specific therapy against high blood pressure. In this way, nosebleeds can be effectively treated for high blood pressure. A rare cause of hypertension crises, even without pre-existing hypertension, is pheochromocytoma as an adrenaline-producing adrenal gland tumor.
One of the rare but serious causes of nosebleeds is the disease caused by a tumor in the nasopharynx. A distinction is made between benign and malignant tumors. Benign tumors are, for example, papillomas or fibromas.
A malignant tumor is the squamous cell carcinoma, as well as the adenocarcinoma. Benign tumors are much more common as causes of nosebleeds. Overall, however, a tumor is a rare cause of nosebleeds.
In addition to nosebleeds, a tumor usually causes accompanying symptoms such as toothache and impaired hearing. Purulent discharge can also occur. The therapy consists of surgical removal, which may be supplemented by a special tumor therapy.
Nosebleeds can in some cases be caused by psychological factors. Some people with chronic psychological stress report an increased incidence of nosebleeds. This is mainly caused by the continuous stress.
Psychologically caused nosebleeds can theoretically also occur at the bottom of obsessive-compulsive disorders. It would be conceivable, for example, that a person who compulsively cleans his or her nose frequently could cause nosebleeds. However, the main cause of psychologically caused nosebleeds remains stress.
Besides organic causes, stress can cause nosebleeds. Not every stressed person suffers from nosebleeds. However, it has been proven to occur more frequently in people who are permanently exposed to stress.
The causes of nosebleeds under stress are discussed as a chronic increase in blood pressure and a disturbed regulation of the blood vessels of the nasal mucosa. This is because stress activates hormonal systems in the body which put the body on alert. It helps to reduce stress and to allow oneself some rest more often.Nosebleeds can thus be controlled well.
If stress is the cause of frequent nosebleeds, targeted relaxation exercises can help. Pregnancy must also be mentioned as one of the causes of frequent nosebleeds. Many women suffer more frequently from nosebleeds during pregnancy.
This can occur especially from the middle of pregnancy. One of the reasons for this is the woman’s altered hormone levels. The hormones during pregnancy lead to a loosening of the tissue.
On the other hand, pregnant women experience an increase in blood volume and blood pressure. The increased nosebleed during pregnancy is not dangerous and is usually gone after the birth. Ultimately, certain substances can also be the cause of nosebleeds, such as decongestant nasal drops, which, due to their vasoconstrictive effect, dry out the mucous membranes and can thus cause damage.
The current dosage of active substances hardly causes any side effects when used properly. In addition, the long-term sniffing of cocaine leads to a similar, but often stronger effect. Here the mucous membranes with a possible tendency to bleed are damaged to such an extent that even the cartilage underneath is restricted in its supply of nutrients and holes can form in the nasal septum formed from it.
Blood coagulation disorders can also be considered a cause of nosebleeds. In most cases, this disorder is intentionally caused by medication, as is the case with many elderly patients undergoing treatment with Marcumar®, but also thrombocyte deficiency disorders, known as thrombocytopenia, or their defective formation, known as thrombocytopathies, and the defective formation of coagulation factors in the blood plasma can manifest itself in nosebleeds, among other things. Some of these causal diseases are hereditary, such as thrombophilia or von Willebrand-Jürgens syndrome.
Platelet deficiency can, however, also occur after heavy bleeding, as well as when the formation in the bone marrow is disturbed, where at an advanced age one no longer thinks of hereditary causes but rather of hematological diseases with varying degrees of danger. Changes in vessels, whether of degenerative cause or due to a malformation or possibly malignant neoplasm, predestine weak points where vessels can be damaged more easily. Degenerative vascular changes include atherosclerosis, for example, but also vascular changes caused by diabetes mellitus.
Vitamin deficiency diseases are another rare cause, among them above all a lack of vitamin K or vitamin C, which is very unlikely in the western world due to nutrition. However, absorption disorders of the vitamins can be present, which lead to a vitamin deficiency.
