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Hey, there, welcome to Life Noggin!
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If you've never had a nosebleed before, the first one can be terrifying.
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Especially if you're young when it happens and have no idea what's going on.
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All you know is that blood is leaking out of your face... for no reason.
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But of course, now that you are older, you know that there is a reason your nose started to bleed.
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You were experiencing a condition known as epistaxis.
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When this occurs, it can be one of two types: anterior or posterior.
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More than likely, you'll get an anterior nosebleed, which is caused by irritation to blood vessels in the nasal septum.
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That's the part of your nose that separates your two nostrils.
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And it's also the part of your nose that can get deviated, which can lead to difficulty breathing.
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And fun fact: It's estimated that 80% of people have some type of misalignment to their nasal septum.
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If I had a nose, I could attest to that, but sadly, my face is pretty featureless, as you can see.
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But a block can dream!
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Anyway, in the nasal septum is an area called the Kiesselbach plexus, where four different arteries come together to form a network of blood vessels.
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So, when this area is irritated by either a vigorous blow or a roaming finger, some of the blood vessels may break.
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And then you get blood running down your face and possibly the back of your throat.
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But what about dry air?
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In the northern hemisphere, winter is coming, and with it comes a lot of nosebleeds.
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The decreased humidity and temperature prevent your nose from getting the moisture it needs.
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This then makes the mucous membrane more susceptible to bleeding.
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And... voila! You get blood leaking down your nostril.
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The only thing more unappealing than that is saying the words "mucous membrane".
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So, how do you stop the blood?
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Well, it's recommended that you pinch the soft part of your nose for ten minutes, making sure to keep the nostrils closed.
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This pressure helps the blood to clot and stops the bleeding.
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Oh, and make sure you lean forward during this because, otherwise, as I previously mentioned, blood can leak down the back of your throat, which you don't want.
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However, if you are lucky enough to be near a doctor when you get a nosebleed, if they can easily see the broken blood vessel, they may be able to cauterize, or seal it, using silver nitrate.
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So now your nose... I'm sorry. I could've just ended this.
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So, do yourself a favor and keep all fingers and foreign objects away from your nostrils.
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Your nose and future self will thank you.
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Have you ever had a nosebleed? Do you get them often?
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If you're comfortable with sharing, let us know in the comment section below, or tell us what we should talk about next.
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And if you want even more Life Noggin, check out this video we did on what would happen if all cats suddenly died. Yeah.
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As always, my name is Blocko, this has been Life Noggin, don't forget to keep on thinking.