Sometimes seeing blood after blowing your nose can cause concern, but in most cases it is not serious. In fact, there are millions of people around the world who experience a bloody nose throughout the year.
The nose has a significant blood supply, which can lead to bleeding when you blow your snot frequently. Epistaxis, or nosebleed, is usually caused by a ruptured blood vessel in the nose or sinuses. Nosebleeds, especially when blowing your nose, are very common and generally not a cause for concern.
It can be difficult to determine what is causing the blood vessels in the nose to break. However, there are several factors that can contribute or cause the nose to bleed when blowing.
Causes of having blood when blowing the nose
Bleeding can be light or heavy due to damage to the inside of your nasal passages. Most nosebleeds occur in the septum of the nose , particularly in the lower front section of this area. The septum is where your nose splits into two different sides.
The nose has many blood vessels that can be damaged for various reasons. Once the blood vessel is damaged, you may experience bleeding more often when you blow your mucus. This is because the scab that covers the broken blood vessel during the healing process can come off.
However, the most common reasons why you may experience bleeding when you blow your nose are those listed below.
Nasal congestion or respiratory infections
You may experience bleeding when blowing your nose due to a stuffy nose or respiratory infection. Frequent blowing of mucus can cause blood vessels to break. This can also happen if you sneeze or cough too much in a short time, such as when you have a respiratory condition.
You may experience a stuffy nose or respiratory infections from a common cold, allergies, sinusitis, or another health condition. That is why it is common in spring times, due to allergies, and in winter, due to colds.
Cold and dry climate
You may experience bleeding when blowing your nose more often in the fall and winter months. It is the time when cold and dry air can damage the blood vessels in the nose because there is not enough moisture inside. It can get even drier and more irritated in the winter because you spend time in heated indoor environments that lack moisture.
Dryness in the nose can also delay the healing of broken blood vessels and lead to infections in this area. Also, this can lead to more frequent experiences of blood in the nose.
Picking your nose and poking foreign objects
Sticking your finger up your nose can damage your blood vessels. This is a common occurrence in children, and it can lead to a nosebleed.
You can also experience damage to the blood vessels in your nose if a foreign object gets inside. Again, young children have the urge to explore and try putting things into their nostrils. Even in adults, the nasal spray can get stuck in a person’s nose.
Abnormality of the nose
Although we all have a nose, they are not all the same. Some ways can cause bleeding when you blow your snot. A deviated septum, holes in the septum, bone spurs, or broken nose could be the cause.
Your nose may not be getting enough moisture if you have one of these conditions, and this can cause blood to appear when you blow it.
Treatments to reduce blood in the nose
This condition can be treated at home if you suspect that the cause is not serious. Blood gushing or leaking from your nose after blowing it should be treated by doing the following until the nose stops bleeding: Sit down, relax, tilt your head forward, pinch your nose closed, and breathe through your mouth. About 90 percent of nosebleeds occur in the lower front part of the septum, the fleshy wall that divides the nostrils.
Once the bleeding is under control, keep your head above your heart for several hours and avoid contact with your nose. When heavy nosebleeds are under control or if you are trying to stop a minor nosebleed, you should consider using a saline spray to add moisture to your nose, avoid picking your nose or blowing snot, apply petroleum jelly to the inside of your nose with swab and add moisture to the air with a humidifier during cold, dry months.
Other medical treatment options could be:
- Nasal packing, where sterile cotton pads or dressings are placed in the nostril to limit bleeding
- Topical medications to limit bleeding, known as local hemostatic agents
- Antiseptic and antibiotic topical creams and ointments
- Sealing a blood vessel with an electrical or chemical device, such as silver nitrate
- Surgery in which the blood vessel is filled with sterile materials to block it.
- Medicines for clotting
- Blood transfusions
Can you prevent blood by blowing your nose?
In many cases, there is no specific way to prevent nosebleeds, but there are some tips that can help prevent or reduce your risk of nosebleeds. Usually blowing your nose again and not picking your skin can prevent minor bleeding.
Other tips to prevent the appearance of blood when blowing are:
- Using over-the-counter nasal decongestant sprays or pills to treat allergies
- Apply over-the-counter nasal lubricants or petroleum jelly to the nostrils to prevent dryness
- Using saline sprays to prevent dryness
- Avoid picking the nose, especially scabs
- Avoid blowing your nose aggressively or too often
- Protect your nose from cold or dry air with a scarf
- Do not abuse nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antibiotics
- Reduce inflammation and nasal congestion by using a nasal rinse
- Avoid exposure to toxic chemicals
