Why Does Body Heat Lead To Nosebleeds ?

Nose bleeding is one of the common things due to its position and high density of blood vessels. Most of the time, nosebleeds are not so serious, but at times nosebleeds can indicate underlying conditions like leukemia. 

In most cases, local trauma is the main cause of nosebleeds, this may range from blows to the face to nose picking. Dust particles, sinus infections, or inhaling dry air for a prolonged time also remain as the causes of nosebleeds. The medical term used to describe nosebleeds is epistaxis, mostly it’s not a cause of concern, in very rare scenarios it may lead to life-threatening conditions. Further, let’s have a close look at this blog to know more about nosebleeds, its causes, and what an individual can do to treat and prevent nosebleeds. 

What are nosebleeds? 

Nosebleeds are nothing but a loss of blood from the tissue inside an individual’s nose. You need to understand that this is a common thing and rarely remains as a cause of concern. Simply, the nose is completely composed of blood vessels, that’s why even a minor facial injury results in nosebleeds. Even at times, nosebleeds can occur without the disturbance of external influence. 

For instance, when mucus secreting tissue (mucous membrane) inside your nose becomes dry, crusty, or gets cracked, nosebleeds will occur. Further, it is common among individuals with bleeding disorders. 

What are the causes of nosebleeds? 

Nosebleeds will be anterior or posterior. In anterior nosebleeds, the bleeding will start from the two nostril walls. In this part of the nose there will be several delicate blood vessels. This type of nosebleed is the common one. While in posterior nosebleeds, bleeding starts from higher up the nose. This area of the nose contains artery branches that support blood supply to the nose. When these arteries become ruptured, it may cause heavy bleeding. Always remember that posterior bleeds are more serious than anterior ones and the immediate medical treatment is crucial. 

Further, let’s see some common causes of nosebleeds:

• Direct injury: In case of facial injury, the individual’s nose lining will get damaged, which will result in nosebleeds. 

• Irritation: Frequent blowing or picking of the nose can disturb the lining, which is one of the main causes of nosebleeds. 

• Dust particles: Dust particles present in the nasal cavity will affect the local tissue and blood vessels. 

• Air travel and altitude: Changes in air pressure and altitude can cause nasal blood vessels to expand and contract. These disturbances altogether can cause nosebleeds.

• Swelling: Swelling due to infections or allergies, like sinusitis, can affect blood vessels in the nose. 

• Humidity: Low humidity climates will cause cracking in the nasal tissue. Eventually it will cause nosebleeding. 

• Liver disease: Typically, liver disease will cause blood clotting and may cause frequent and intense nosebleeding. 

• Irritants: Exposing yourself to smoke, or irritant fumes will damage the nasal lining and result in nosebleeds. 
• Cancer treatments: Chemotherapy will potentially lower the number of platelets in the blood. Further, blood clotting will become more difficult, and individuals will experience more bleeding. 

At times, an underlying health issue remains as a causes of nosebleeding like: 

• Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia 
• Calcium deficiency 
• Nasal surgery 
• Blood diseases like leukemia and hemophilia 
• Tumors 

What are the symptoms of nosebleeds? 

Simply, the main sign of a nosebleed is blood coming from the nose. The severity of this bleeding will greatly vary, and this can occur in one or both nostrils. Most of the time, posterior nosebleeds are the reason for this in the nostrils. 

In case this occurs when an individual is lying down, they can feel liquid in the back of their throat before the blood comes from the nose. 

Can body heat cause nosebleeds? 

The direct answer for this question is yes, body heat can cause nosebleeds. Your body temperature can increase due to hot weather, fever, vigorous exercise, or dehydration, delicate blood vessels in your nose become more fragile and prone to breaking. You need to understand that the nasal lining is more sensitive, and when exposed to more heat, it can dry out, making it more susceptible to cracks and bleeding. 

Dehydration plays a significant role here, simply, when your body loses moisture, the nasal membranes become more dry, reducing their ability to stay flexible and moist. This makes them more likely to rupture, notably when sneezing, blowing your nose, or even when touching it. 

The next factor is blood vessel dilation. Summer body heat causes our blood vessels to expand, increasing the blood flow to the nose. This excess pressure makes the tiny capillaries in the nasal passages more likely to burst, leading to nosebleeds. 

To stay away from these heat-induced nose bleeds, you need to stay hydrated, try using a humidifier in dry environments, and expose yourself to the extreme heat. Also, occasional nosebleeds are completely normal, only frequent or severe episodes indicate an underlying health problem, when medical help is crucial. 

How does body heat affect the nose? 

Your nose is lined with small, fragile blood vessels that are highly sensitive to climate changes. Whenever your body heats up, these vessels will get expanded and more vulnerable to rupturing, resulting in nosebleeds, when you should consider reaching out to the best ENT hospital in Coimbatore to get the desired results. 

• Dehydration and nosebleeds: 

When the temperature is too high, we will easily get dehydrated, which dries out the mucous membranes in the nose. A dry nasal passage increases the risk of cracks and bleeding.

• Humidity and its role in nosebleeds: 

Nasal lining will become dry in the low humidity levels, making it more susceptible to damage. Simply, hot, dry weather is a primary contributor to frequent nosebleeds. 

• Exercise, body heat, and nosebleeds: 

When performing vigorous exercise, your body temperature and blood pressure will be increased. This adds more stress on nasal blood vessels, increasing the likelihood of a nosebleed. 

• Fever and nosebleeds: 

When you have a fever, automatically your body temperature will increase, and the nasal membranes will dry out. Even a few medications can also thin the blood and trigger the recurrence of nosebleeds. 

• Hormonal changes and body heat: 

Hormonal changes during puberty and pregnancy will increase the body heat and disturb the blood vessels in the nose, resulting in more frequent nosebleeds. 

Shall I drink water immediately after nosebleeding? 

Of course, you can drink water post-nose bleeding, even staying hydrated assists in maintaining your nasal membrane moist and prevents further dryness, which can reduce the risk of another bleed. Consider drinking cool or room temperature water, as it assists in regulating body temperature, notably when the heat triggers the nosebleed. Also, avoid very hot or cold water, because extreme temperatures can irritate the sensitive nasal blood vessels. Simply, drinking water can be beneficial, concentrate on stopping the bleeding first by pinching your nostrils, lean slightly forward, and breathe through your mouth. When this happens more often, consider getting medical help. 

Is there any home remedy to get rid of this? 

As mentioned above, not all nosebleeds are a medical emergency, and even individuals can treat them at home by themselves. The primary step involves stopping the bleeding. Further, an individual can try the following tips, and these remain as the best way to stop a bloody nose: 

• Sit down and pinch the soft parts of the nose firmly, and breathe through the nose, which is the best way to stop a bloody nose. 
• Lean in the front to avoid blood from draining into the sinuses and throat, which may result in inhaling the blood and gagging. 
• Sit up straight, so the head is higher than the heart. This reduces blood pressure and helps in alleviating the bleeding, which remains as the best way to stop a bloody nose. 
• Keep adding stress on the nose, leaning forward, and sitting straight for 10–15 minutes, eventually the blood clots, this is the best way to stop a bloody nose. In case the bleeding persists for more than 20 minutes, getting medical help is mandatory. 

You should consider getting immediate medical help if: 

• You are experiencing frequent nosebleeds
• Got a head injury 
• Taking blood-thinning medications 
• Bleeding persists for more than 15–20 minutes 
• Experiencing heart palpitations

How to treat nosebleeds? 

As the first course of action, the doctor will try to stop the bleeding. A healthcare provider will check the individual’s blood pressure and pulse. In case the doctor suspects a fracture in the face or nose, before initiating the treatment, doctors in ENT hospitals will order an X-ray. Simply, based on the severity of nosebleeding and the underlying cause, the treatment will be directed. Further, the common treatment options include: 

• Nasal packing: A healthcare provider will place ribbon gauze or nasal sponges into the nasal cavity to add pressure on the source of the bleed. 

• Cautery: During this procedure, the doctor will cauterize or burn the area of nasal lining to seal bleeding blood vessels. 

• Embolization: In this method, a healthcare provider will insert materials into your blood vessels or arteries to block the blood flow. This greatly helps in immediately stopping the nosebleeds. Also, this method is rarely recommended by the best ENT doctor in Coimbatore, when no other methods are helping you. 

• Septal surgery: In case a deviated septum is causing frequent nosebleeds, healthcare providers will straighten it during the procedure. 

• Ligation: This procedure involves tying the ends of blood vessels that cause bleeding. Typically, this method is performed when other treatment options have not worked. Simply, 5-10% of posterior nosebleed cases need ligation. 

How to prevent nosebleeds? 

There are several approaches available to prevent nosebleeds, like: 

• Stop frequently picking the nose 
• Avoiding blowing the nose harder 
• After nosebleeds, avoid vigorous activities 
• Avoiding irritants and drying nasal medications 
• Have opening the mouth when sneezing 

Maintaining the nose lining moist will help to prevent nosebleeds. For instance, using nasal saline sprays and humidifiers at very high altitudes or in dry climates may be of benefit to a few individuals. 

Final thoughts: 

In conclusion, we can say that nosebleeds are a common thing, in most cases, medical help is not required. Mostly they are the result of direct injury or irritation, and an individual can treat them at home with good rest and nasal packing. Also, in a few cases, nosebleeds happen due to the underlying conditions. In case an individual is experiencing intense or prolonged bleeding, immediate medical assistance is required. 

Individuals taking blood thinners or living with conditions that disturb blood clotting should get immediate help if they experience a nosebleed. The common surgical methods to treat this condition include cautery, ligation, and embolization. Protecting your nasal lining from irritation, avoiding activities that might result in facial injury, and maintaining the inner side of the nose moist will help to prevent nosebleeds. Further, at times, due to excess body heat, the nosebleeds will occur you can ease this by making a few changes, like hydrating yourself. If this happens frequently or persists, you should be concerned or consider reaching out to the doctor to get medical assistance.