What you need to know about nosebleeds
Clay county neurosurgeon shares what you need to know about nosebleeds and when to seek treatment.
A nosebleed is generally a benign event managed with simple pressure to the nose. However, HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital, board-certified and fellowship-trained neurosurgeon, says they can be dangerous when recurrent and difficult to stop. Surgical treatment is now available at Orange Park Hospital for severe cases, including minimally invasive endovascular surgery, a 30-minute procedure that does not require an operating room or anesthesia.
Epistaxis, also known as bleeding from the nose, affects at least 60% of people in their lifetime. Due to its large number of blood vessels close to the lining of your nose, it makes the nose an easy target for bleeding. If you experience frequent nose bleeds, it could be time to visit your doctor. “This could be an early sign of other issues with your health,” said Neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Horowitz at HCA Florida Orange Park Neurosurgery. “If the nose bleeds escalate to heavy bleeding, depending on where the bleeding comes from, it can be dangerous.”
The most common cause of nosebleeds is dry air. “An easy lifestyle adjustment is using a humidifier,” said Dr. Horowitz. Other common causes include colds or sinusitis infections, aggressive blowing of the nose, injury to the nose or face, drug or alcohol use, chemical irritants, high altitudes, and frequent use of nasal sprays. Less common causes are pregnancy, leukemia, tumors, and high blood pressure.
“If you can’t stop the bleeding on your own after more than 20 minutes, you should get yourself to the hospital,” says Dr. Horowitz. ” Or if you’re losing blood at a high rate of more than a cup. It’s time to get medical attention.” Another sign you should visit the ER is if your nosebleed follows a blow to your head.
Posterior nosebleeds, where the bleeding originates toward the back of the nasal passage, near the throat, generally require medical intervention. In addition to endovascular surgery, those treatments include nasal packing with cotton gauze, collagen materials, nasal tampons, and inflatable balloon catheters, cauterization with silver nitrate, or open surgery used when the bleeding cannot be controlled with all other interventions.
HCA Florida Orange Park Neurosurgery is in Orange Park Hospital’s new medical office building at 1825 Kingsley Avenue, Suite 170, Orange Park, FL 32073. You can schedule an appointment by calling (904) 246-7336 or visiting their website using this link.