The task of the nose is to warm, moisten, and clean the inhaled air. For this reason, the internal part of the nose is coated with a moist mucous membrane with many small blood vessels; capillaries. The mucosa is coated with cilia which, at one end, lead dust and mucus towards the throat in order for it to be destroyed in the acidic stomach and, at the other end, lead it towards the nostrils. The nasal mucus and the dust particles make up the ingredients of a booger.
Nosebleed can arise...
- When picking your nose and happen to scratch a hole in the fragile blood vessels of the nasal mucosa - typically in the nasal septum.
- If the air is very dry - e.g. in a bad indoor climate or in frosty weather. This makes the nasal mucosa dry up and damage to its blood vessels will then happen more easily.
- In relation to a cold or flu in which the nasal mucosa swells and sneezing or blowing your nose will make the blood vessels burst.
- In case of elevated blood pressure which increases the pressure on the blood vessels.
- When taking blood-diluting medicine - the effect of which is to inhibit the blood's ability to coagulate; which of course also increases the risk of bleedings.
- If you are exposed to chemical substances - or sniff cocaine - which will irritate your nasal mucosa causing blood vessels to burst.
Normally, nose-bleeding is not dangerous since it most often ceases quite quickly.
In people who have been born with thin, fragile blood vessels, in bleeders, or in case of acute leukaemia, nasal tumours, or cirrhosis of the liver, frequent attacks of nosebleed can occur.
