Question
My son often has nosebleeds, and they happen when he sneezes in the morning or when it’s too hot, as seen in Shaoguan.
Answer
Nosebleeds, medically known as “epistaxis,” often result from “lung dryness and blood heat,” leading to nasal dryness and increased fragility of capillaries, causing them to break and bleed. If not treated promptly, the condition may worsen, leading to serious consequences such as nasal mucosa shrinkage, anemia, memory loss, vision impairment, decreased immunity, or even hypoxic shock, which could be life-threatening. Children are active and prone to injuries unintentionally, leading to nosebleeds. Additionally, they might put foreign objects into their noses out of curiosity, causing damage to the nasal mucosa. These situations can occur at any time, and the amount of blood usually isn’t much, so there’s no need to worry excessively. As for why nosebleeds are particularly severe in winter, the main reason is that in cold weather, we tend to eat warm foods. When eating, warm air enters the nasal cavity, increasing blood flow. If the nasal mucosa is naturally thin or has been injured before, it’s easy to have a nosebleed. Furthermore, in cold and dry environments, we need more blood flow through the nasal cavity to raise temperature and humidity, making the microvascular blood vessels in the nasal mucosa more likely to swell and cause nosebleeds.