Epistaxis and Hypertension

by Garreth Myers

Epistaxis or nosebleed is when you suffer from a hemorrhage in the nasal cavity, nostril or nasopharynx. Epistaxis or nosebleed could occur due to a number of reasons, especially during the cold winter season. Hypertension is also one of the causes of epistaxis, and hypertension epistaxis is more commonly found in elderly people.

Causes of Epistaxis

Epistaxis mostly occurs during the cold weather. It mostly affects children in the 2 to 10 age group and elderly people from 50 to 80 years of age. Here is a detailed list of some of the leading causes of nosebleeds.

Alcohol consumption: Drinking huge amounts of alcohol could lead to epistaxis.
Deficiency of vitamins C or K: Insufficient amounts of vitamins C or K in the human system are also known to cause epistaxis.
Irritation: A severe allergic reaction to elements in the environment, chronic sinusitis, severe respiratory tract infections, or substance abuse could cause your nose to bleed.
Hereditary hemorrhagic telagiectasia: People who suffer from this condition have weaker capillaries in the nasal passage, and due to this, they are at a higher risk of bleeding. Chronic epistaxis is usually associated with this condition.
Hypertension: Epistaxis and hypertension are related, and adults are more likely to suffer from it. While having a nosebleed, the likelihood of being acutely hypertensive is high. Nosebleed hypertension is seldom a direct reason for epistaxis. Always make sure that you try to get the nosebleed under control before trying to reduce the blood pressure levels.
Nasal Septum Disease: This is an uncommon cause of anterior epistaxis that includes mid-line destructive disease, syphilis, tuberculosis and Wegener’s granulomatosis
Nose Trauma: Trauma to the nose could be caused due to a number of reasons that include insertion of a foreign object in to the nose, extreme blowing of the nose, nose picking, or a sudden blow to the face.
Tumor: This is also rare and could occur after a nose surgery, due to the trauma the nose could start to hemorrhage.

Kinds of Epistaxis

There are two kinds of bleeds that could occur – anterior or posterior. Anterior bleeds are the most common kind of epistaxis; this bleed arises in the anterior part of that nose that is two-thirds of the nose and is seen on the septum. This sort of bleed is easy to stop; all you need to do is pinch the part of your nose that contains cartilage or to pour cold water on your head and then lie down on a pillow. Posterior bleeds are much more severe in comparison to anterior bleeds and need medical attention immediately. Though these are a rare occurrence, they are not to be taken lightly. If the bleeding doesn’t stop after a few minutes, you need to rush to the nearest hospital.

Epistaxis and Hypertension

There is a lot of uncertainty regarding how epistaxis and hypertension are related, though hypertension is listed as one of the causes of epistaxis. There are contradictory reports with some studies showing that hypertension causes epistaxis, while there are other studies that have denied the connection. It is important to understand the significance of hypertension with epistaxis. Hypertension frequently affects older people, and doctors concur that elderly patients suffer from more serious epistaxis conditions. Therefore, it is safe to assume that age and severity of the nosebleed are directly linked, in most cases. Blood vessels and arteries tend to get fragile with age, which could be the reason for posterior epistaxis to arise. Posterior epistaxis could also occur due to the fact that the affected people are suffering from other ailments as well. Despite concrete proof being unavailable, it is best to keep your blood pressure levels in check to try and avoid such a situation. Do not ignore a case of chronic epistaxis, and make sure that you visit your doctor or nearest hospital immediately to be treated.

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