What causes nosebleeds during pregnancy
Nosebleeds during pregnancy | Pregnancy Birth and Baby
Nosebleeds during pregnancy | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content3-minute read
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Nosebleeds during pregnancy are fairly common. Although they can be alarming, in most cases there's no need to worry and you should be able to treat a bleeding nose yourself.
Why are nosebleeds common during pregnancy?
During your first trimester the amount of blood circulating in your body increases and your heart works harder. This means that the lining of your nasal passage (inside your nose) also receives more blood. You have tiny blood vessels inside your nose so the increased blood volume can sometimes damage those blood vessels and cause them to burst, resulting in a nosebleed.
Changes in your hormones during pregnancy can also contribute to nosebleeds.
These changes can make your nose feel congested (stuffy) and it might get more blocked up than usual. Your gums may also feel swollen and may bleed.
A nosebleed may last for a few seconds or a few minutes, and can flow from one or both nostrils. The blood flow can be light or quite heavy. If a nosebleed happens at night, while you’re sleeping, you may wake up feeling the blood going down the back of your throat before you sit up. It will then come out of your nose.
Are nosebleeds during pregnancy a cause for concern?
Nosebleeds can give you a fright or be a nuisance, but as long as you don’t lose a lot of blood, they are generally nothing to be worried about. In most cases, a nosebleed won’t harm you or your baby.
How do I stop a nosebleed if I have one?
- Sitting or standing, keep your head upright. This reduces the pressure in the blood vessels inside your nose and will help to slow down the bleeding.
- Pinch the soft part of your nose, underneath the bony ridge, between your thumb and forefinger. Once you have done this, the two sides of your nose should be pressed together.
- Keep pinching, without releasing, for 10 minutes.
- If your nose is bleeding a lot, you may want to lean slightly forward and breathe through your mouth so the blood runs out of your nose, rather than down the back of your throat.
- Spit out any blood that is in your mouth.
- You may also want to suck an ice cube or put an icepack on the back of your neck or forehead, or the bony part of your nose.
- After 10 minutes, gently release your pinch to see if the bleeding has stopped.
- If your nose is still bleeding, try this procedure again for another 10 minutes.
How can I avoid a nose bleed?
If you are blowing your nose, do so gently and try to avoid large sneezes. You should also avoid picking your nose. You could be more likely to get nosebleeds in winter months when the air is dryer, so you may like to use a dehumidifier in your home to moisten the air.
If you’ve recently had a nosebleed:
- Sneeze with your mouth open.
- Try to avoid bending down or vigorously exercising for at least 12 hours afterwards.
- Avoid hitting your nose on anything.
When should I see a doctor?
Let your doctor know straight away if your nosebleed happens after bumping your head.
You should also contact your doctor if:
- you have high blood pressure
- you have taken the steps above and your nosebleed hasn’t stopped after 20 minutes
- you have trouble breathing through your mouth
- there seems to be a large amount of blood
- you are getting nosebleeds frequently
- you have swallowed a lot of blood and vomited
- you have a fever or chill
For more information, or to discuss any concerns you might have about nosebleeds, call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436.
Sources:
Healthy WA (Healthy WA - Nose bleeds), Mater Mothers Hospital (Pregnancy information for women and families), NHS Choices (Nosebleeds in pregnancy), Raising Children Network (15 weeks pregnant), St John Ambulance Australia (First aid tip: nosebleeds)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: June 2021
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What causes nosebleeds in pregnancy, and tips to manage them | Your Pregnancy Matters
Pregnant women are more likely to get nosebleeds due to increased blood volume, which may cause vessels in the nose to rupture.Pregnancy is full of quirky side effects – including nosebleeds.
One in five patients get nosebleeds during pregnancy (epistaxis), compared with 6% of women who get them when not pregnant.
Over the course of pregnancy, your total blood volume doubles to support the growing baby. To accommodate this extra blood, the blood vessels in your body dilate. The pressure of the extra blood can sometimes cause the more fragile vessels to rupture and bleed more easily.
Your nose is rich in tiny blood vessels that can get dried out from normal breathing, which can lead to breakage and bleeding. For most pregnant patients, the occasional minor nosebleed is no cause for alarm. It’s mostly just annoying.
I've invited my colleague, Ashleigh Halderman, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat specialist from UT Southwestern's Otolaryngology Department, to talk about what causes nosebleeds during pregnancy, how women can prevent them, and how to stop them when they do occur.
Colds, medications, and unruly sinuses
Dr.
Ashleigh Halderman Even when you aren't pregnant, you're more likely to get a nosebleed with a cold, sinus infection, or allergies. But approximately 20% of women experience pregnancy rhinitis – inflammation and swelling of the mucous membranes in the nose.
Pregnancy rhinitis causes congestion, postnasal drip, and runny nose. And when you're constantly blowing your nose, you're more susceptible to having a bloody nose.
Certain medical conditions such as high blood pressure or clotting disorders can cause nosebleeds as well.
You may also get a nosebleed if the membranes in your nose dry out and crack due to cold weather, dry air, or intense air conditioning.
Pregnancy tumor: A rare cause of nosebleeds
Also known as a pyogenic granuloma, a pregnancy tumor is a noncancerous, rapidly growing mass of capillary blood vessels that bleeds easily. Research suggests the masses form due to the influx of hormones during pregnancy.
Approximately 5% of pregnant women develop pregnancy tumors, which typically form in the gums between the teeth but can also form in the nose.
The masses can appear anywhere on the body and generally disappear after the baby is born.
Treatment usually consists of either a medicated gel or nasal spray, which helps control bleeding. Some women need to have the tumor removed if it is causing breathing problems or excessive nosebleeds. The exact procedure to remove the tumor depends on where the tumor is located. For pregnancy tumors of the nose, most can be removed endoscopically without any external incisions or stitches.
Related reading: 5 weird pregnancy symptoms you might not know about
How can I prevent nosebleeds during pregnancy?
While it’s not possible to prevent all nosebleeds, there are few things you can do to avoid irritating the sensitive blood vessels in your nose.
● Moisturize the inside of your nose: Use a bit of saline nasal gel to lubricate dry or irritated nasal passages.
● Use a humidifier: Because dry air increases the risk of nosebleeds, adding a little moisture to the air can do wonders.
● Drink plenty of fluids: This keeps your mucous membranes well hydrated and less likely to dry out and crack.
● Treat colds and allergies: Talk to your doctor about which over-the-counter medications may be best.
Be especially gentle after a nosebleed. Your nose needs to heal, so don’t blow it too hard or stuff tissues in the nostrils, which can prolong bleeding.
How to stop a nosebleed and when to see your doctor
If you do get a nosebleed during pregnancy (or any other time):
● Sit or stand up to keep your head higher than your heart
● Lean forward slightly to stop the blood from running down the back of your throat into your mouth
● Pinch both nostrils and maintain pressure for 10 to 15 minutes
● To help constrict the blood vessels and slow bleeding, you also can apply a cold pack or ice over the bridge of your nose or use a nasal spray such as Afrin before pinching the nostrils together
Call your health care provider if you experience more than a couple nosebleeds during pregnancy, or if:
● Bleeding doesn’t stop after 30 minutes
● Blood flow is heavy
● You have trouble breathing
● You become lightheaded or disoriented
Pregnancy can cause strange things to happen to your body.
While nosebleeds generally are nothing to be overly concerned about, talk to your doctor if you are worried. We're always available to help you feel more comfortable during pregnancy.
To visit with an Ob/Gyn, call 214-645-8300 or request an appointment online.
Why does nose bleed during pregnancy?
Pregnancy and childbirth
- Photo
- Pixel-Shot — stock.adobe.com
Why does my nose bleed during pregnancy?
When carrying a child, the hormonal background in a woman's body changes. This leads to increased blood flow, causing the blood vessels to fill with blood. The nasal mucosa becomes sensitive, and the capillaries become brittle. Even blowing your nose can cause nosebleeds.
Nosebleeds during pregnancy also occur for other reasons:
- Poor blood clotting.
This is a dangerous violation, especially during childbirth. - Pressure increase. Headache and dizziness appear. This condition is dangerous for the health of the baby, because the blood circulation of the placenta is disturbed.
- Deficiency of calcium or vitamin K. These substances strengthen the walls of blood vessels and prevent their rupture.
- Injuries to the nose.
- Deviated septum.
- Temperature above 38°C that persists for a long time.
Any of these problems should not go unnoticed.
- Photo
- WavebreakMediaMicro — stock.adobe.com
What should I do if my nose bleeds during pregnancy?
See your doctor on time to prevent bleeding. With a deficiency of vitamins, drink vitamin complexes. Make sure that the nasal mucosa does not dry out, especially during a runny nose.
Use humidifiers. Avoid inhalation of irritants and harmful substances. Ventilate the apartment and drink plenty of fluids.
If your nose bleeds, proceed as follows:
- Sit down and tilt your head back.
- Put something cold on the bridge of your nose, preferably ice.
- Press the bleeding nostril against the nasal septum for 10 minutes.
- Severe bleeding can be stopped with a cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide.
After bleeding stops, see a doctor to find out the cause. To strengthen blood vessels, he will prescribe vitamin complexes.
During bleeding, do not tilt your head back much, lie down and blow your nose. In a horizontal position, the contents of the nose will enter the stomach, which will provoke vomiting. Blowing your nose does not form a blood clot and the bleeding continues. If the bleeding could not be stopped within 20 minutes. at home, then call an ambulance ( read also : What happens to the mother in the first 24 hours after childbirth).
Do not self-medicate runny nose and nosebleeds during pregnancy. The use of medicines can harm the baby's health ( see also : Only calmness: 5 most dangerous moments of pregnancy).
Wday.ru editors
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In lingerie and without: 20 most naked photos of Tina Kunaka - get your men away from the screens . Some of them are absolutely natural in nature and should not cause concern to the expectant mother, while others require an urgent appeal to specialists. If you read somewhere on the forums that a nosebleed during pregnancy is a trifle and quite normal, you should hardly trust such words. And the thing is that there can be a huge number of reasons for this phenomenon, and not all of them are harmless.
Therefore, you still have to contact a qualified specialist if you have a problem with nosebleeds.
The main reasons why this happens
Against the background of revolutionary changes in the whole organism of the expectant mother and its hormonal changes, there is such a phenomenon as increased blood circulation in the vessels, including in all mucous membranes. For this reason, the inner shell of the nose of a pregnant woman becomes hypersensitive to every outside influence. For the same reason, expectant mothers often complain about nasal congestion. Of course, under such circumstances, bleeding is more frequent than usual, but each case still needs to be considered on an individual basis.
A more dangerous cause of such a phenomenon as nosebleeds during pregnancy may be a sharp increase in blood pressure. To accurately determine this, it is enough to use a tonometer during the next hemorrhage. Even a slight increase in the readings of the mercury column (by 10-20 mm) should already be a reason for an immediate visit to the doctor.
The thing is that such a phenomenon necessarily negatively affects the uteroplacental blood flow, and this can cause spontaneous abortion. When such a threat becomes real, it is usually accompanied by other signs: dizziness, headache, flashing in the eyes.
Doctors' recommendations
Many doctors recommend that pregnant women have a blood clotting test if they have frequent bleeding. Such a simple procedure helps to accurately determine the cause of this unpleasant ailment. If the analysis turns out to be normal and does not show any pathological changes in the body, then you will be offered to limit yourself to taking Ascorutin-type vitamins. If blood clotting is below normal, then you will have to go for a consultation with a hematologist. Usually in such cases, patients are treated in a hospital.
A very important point - do not self-medicate! This applies not only to such a serious illness as nosebleeds during pregnancy, but even to the most common rhinitis.
Especially avoid any chemicals - aerosols, nose drops, etc. Not only will they not help, but they are quite capable of harming your little one. But what can really become your salvation is the installation of a high-quality air humidifier in an apartment. It will bring particular health benefits in winter, when the air in the room is extremely dry.
In addition, frequent nosebleeds can be helped by drinking plenty of fluids all the time. But in general - listen to what the doctor says - if he believes that your condition is within the acceptable range, then you should not be upset - both a runny nose and bleeding will go away on their own almost immediately after childbirth. Just be patient a little, because you have to endure not such inconveniences for the sake of the baby.
What to do when bleeding?
Sit on a chair and hold your bleeding nostril closed for a few minutes. At the same time, tilt your head down a little, allowing the blood to flow out calmly. In no case should you lie down and raise your head up - too.
