Dry Air Can Cause Nosebleeds

Horizons in Hemophilia, November 2011

By Penny Kumpf, RN, VWD Community Outreach Nurse

Here we are again at the time of year when the heat comes on and you and your family may have to deal with nosebleeds. 
 
Having just gotten back from a trip to the desert, I’m reminded of the saying “it is hot, but it is a dry heat."  Yes, but it is still hot!  And it feels like an oven that will turn your nose, mouth, and skin as dry as a prune!  When it rains in the desert, water rushes down the dry riverbank and then vanishes just as quickly.  You might see a sign that says the area is a river and you wonder “where is the water?”  Something similar can happen in your nose.  It says “where is the fluid?” Water that was there can evaporate quickly in the dry air pumped out by the furnace.  But just like in the desert, where rain causes flowers to replace the dry desert sand, appropriate hydration of your nose can lead to healthy, functioning tissue.
 
Here are some helpful tips to prevent nosebleeds:

• Ayr® Saline Nasal Gel is a great product. Use a cotton swab to dab the gel inside the tip of the nose to moisturize it before you go to bed at night and during the day if needed. This gel is available at most stores for just a few dollars.  Get the one in the tube. 
  
• Increase your fluid intake.  It has been recommended by some that you should drink half of your body weight in ounces each day.  For example, a woman who weighs 120 pounds should drink 60 ounces of fluid each day. 
  
• Try using a cool mist humidifier while sleeping. But make sure that you keep the humidifier clean and sanitized per the manufacturer’s instruction.
  
• Sleep in a cool room.  Lowering the thermostat at night will also save you money.
  
• If possible, leave a window open a little bit to get some fresh air into your room.
  
• During the winter you could wear scarves outside to cover the nose and mouth.

And remember, picking the nose when it is dry can cause bleeding so try to distract your child and get him to refrain from picking as much as possible.

Call your treatment center or physician if:

• Your nosebleed has lasted for several hours.
  
• You are vomiting blood or fluid that is coffee colored.
  
• You have signs of anemia which including being tired, pale, dizzy, or short of breath.
  
• You have frequent bleeds that stop easily but continue for weeks.
  
• You have a bleed that does not stop with applied pressure.

Now go get something to drink and hydrate yourself!