Nosebleeds - specific causes or do they just happen?

[Pete]

I've been having some light to moderate bloody nasal crusting along with a tinge of blood in mucous for the past couple of weeks. It's gotten better during the past several days as the weather was getting more springlike (temps around 60•F) with humidity to match. Now, it's getting colder and the air is getting dryer, and I wonder if the crusting will increase.

I also just had a moderate nosebleed. I was vacuuming and moving furniture. Blew my nose - nothing. Five minutes later, the nosebleed started.

Any thoughts on this regarding causality?

[pberggren1]

For me the dry winter air makes my nose bleed more during my rinses.

[whatthewhat]

The drier air seems to make our daughter's nose worse, for sure. And fwiw, our favorite ent instructed her to stop blowing her nose...if she does the rinses daily (up to 3x a day) she doesn't feel the urge to blow. She had 8 days of terrible nosebleeds, about a month after diagnosis, and the experience of that was a real eye-opener.

[Pete]

I don't seem to have much mucous or crusting most of the time. At least not to the point where I need to rinse my sinuses. I do need to make a more concerted effort to keep the passages moist using saline spray.

[Alysia]

Hi Pete,
I hope that the rtx that you got, will soon clear all nose-bleeding, as it did with me.
my nose bleeding was affected from lot of things: weather (dry, dusty, air-pollution), sharp changes from warm to cold.
twice it was bleeding out of stress: in the first time before important professional meeting.
the second time was DURING a tough meeting with my former manager where I used to work at the start of my WG: she was mean and wanted me to do things which were not according to my ethics, and we were arguing. then my nose started to bleed out of stress and tension. it helped me to decide not to work there anymore.

[drz]

For me the dry winter air makes my nose bleed more during my rinses.

Me too, plus it seems to increase episodes of bronchitis and sinus infections. For me warmer and moist air is better. I run a humidifier in my bedroom at night and it helps my nose some.

[Dirty Don]

Hawaii anyone??!! I also have a bit more crusting in dry winter air (oh shut up, we have a kind of winter here!!), and, recently, have had just a bit of bleeding in nose...it's the air! Also, if you're rinsing, tho you're keeping the areas affected moist, you are also disturbing the nasal linings, thus with dryer air and disturbances, you may see more of the bleeding. Just a thought...

[Debbie C]

I know for us who live in the colder climates ( kinda like Phoenix !! ) you need to make sure the furnace filters are clean. I bought one last month and my brother was giving me a hard time saying that it doesn't need changed that often, well when we looked at it ..it was so dirty so we changed it. And since I have been cooped up in the house more and not walking my breathing has gotten worse. So today I went and got another filter,I don't know if it needs changed yet or not ,but it's here. Also need to make sure the vents are clean. I HATE WINTER...and it's not even here yet :(

[Dirty Don]

Deb, I change filters about every 30 days...I use cheap ones, so not too much expense. I was told to do that by a professional installer...works well if one changes them regularly. The heavy duty non-allergan filters are good, no doubt, but they create a heavier 'draw' on the furnace/AC fan motor (unless one has a super duper 5000hp fan, then one doesn't give a darn), thus shortening the life of the fan.

[annekat]

I agree with everyone about the drier winter air. I make sure to have a pan of water on top of my wood stove at all times, for one. There are other precautions to take, of course. I have few actual nosebleeds. But I have noticed if I cough really hard for a few minutes, the impact of that can disturb the nasal membranes enough to cause a bleed, especially if they are dry to begin with.

[MikeG-2012]

NeilMed has a saline nasal spray with aloevera in it. I've been using that during the day to get a little moisture up in the nose, and it has been helping my nose bleeding.

The dry winter months are always worse for me with the nose bleeding too.

Mike

[Debbie C]

Don, I do use the super duty ones. I didn't know about the fan issue. This is the one my furnace guy told me to get...that it will block out alot of allergens.

[annekat]

I don't have a furnace or any of that, so no filter. I remember Sangye saying that everyone should have HEPA air purifiers in their homes, as
many as needed to supply all the rooms. I'm sure she is right, and I haven't done it, because I'm on a budget and most of my money goes for bills. And I'd forgotten, so will try to give it some priority, look for one on sale, at Goodwill, or whatever. My house is full of allergens and I'm managing, but it really needs addressing; starting right after Christmas I will have time.

[Dirty Don]

Don, I do use the super duty ones. I didn't know about the fan issue. This is the one my furnace guy told me to get...that it will block out alot of allergens.

Agreed, they do work, but they do cause stress on the fan motor and if it's on a lot as I assume it is in OhiO, then the fan is what draws the air thru and the thicker mesh of the better filters makes it difficult to draw the air. It's just a thought...a 3 pak of the cheapies costs me about $3, one heavy duty one costs somewhere in the $4 range. Adds up a little bit I guess. Main thing is to keep the air clean and moving. HEPA filtered machines are good in individual rooms, but not for whole house unless you already have one installed in the furnace system...TOOOOOOOOOO much info! Good luck Deb!

[annekat]

HEPA filtered machines are good in individual rooms, but not for whole house unless you already have one installed in the furnace system... I have a small house, basically an upstairs room and a downstairs room, so I could probably get by with two HEPA filters depending on their square footage ratings. It's an old summer cabin, and before that, some sort of hunting or logging shack without plumbing or electricity, originally... so that's why I don't have a furnace. Just a trusty wood stove and some electric space heaters.

[Debbie C]

Wow the filters I get cost me $ 28.00. They better keep everything out for that price..Now I have to worry about the fan going !!!

[Dirty Don]

Wow the filters I get cost me $ 28.00. They better keep everything out for that price..Now I have to worry about the fan going !!!

OMG, don't worry about your fan...if what you want is cleaner air, then it's the chance you take! I was just warning...nothing may happen Deb...sorry to disturb your psyche!! LOL!

[Debbie C]

It's O.K. Don I am sure I'll be able to sleep at night !!!

Anne , your house sounds nice, I like cozy places like that...is it real old. I remember my great grandmothers house had no plumbing in it.There was one of the pumps you had to pump to get water out of and no bathrooms. An outhouse in the back or those bed pots ( which I never used ) I'd take my chances in the outhouse at night !!! That's was the only part I hated about visiting her.

[annekat]

It's O.K. Don I am sure I'll be able to sleep at night !!!

Anne , your house sounds nice, I like cozy places like that...is it real old. I remember my great grandmothers house had no plumbing in it.There was one of the pumps you had to pump to get water out of and no bathrooms. An outhouse in the back or those bed pots ( which I never used ) I'd take my chances in the outhouse at night !!! That's was the only part I hated about visiting her. The county data on my house says it was built in 1901, but I'm not sure they know that, as I've noticed a lot of 1901's in real estate listings, making me think they use that date when they don't really know. I've seen actual county records going back to around 1935, and my grandparents bought it to use as a beach house in the early 1950's. It didn't have plumbing, so they put that in, and I'm not sure about the electricity, whether that was in or not. Whoever did the plumbing put the hot and cold faucets in reverse positions of how they should be. By the time I inherited it, it had gotten pretty ramshackle looking, but I was able to get the outside fixed up through a special loan program. New roof, siding, foundation, porch, double pane windows, up to code chimney for wood stove, and a bathtub to replace the rusty shower, also they fixed holes in the floor. Still needs a lot of work on the inside, though. Won't post a pic here because it's someone else's thread, but maybe another time.... it was my avatar for awhile, when I first joined.