Nose injuries are not uncommon; however, when they do happen, people tend to panic. Instead of letting situations “take you by the nose,” follow these simple first aid steps and stay in control:
Your nose is not simply an organ of smell. It is a filter, a temperature controller, a corridor, and sometimes even an alarm system. It is closely related to the eyes, mouth, ears, and head, both cosmetically and physically. So when it’s injured, to treat it you have to look beyond the nose.
“To treat any injury to the nose, you must first understand the nature and extent of the injury,” say ENT surgeons. “Basically, there are three types of injuries: those that involve the nose and head; those that affect the nose and face; those that pertain only to the nose. Only after the type of injury has been determined can it be treated. properly or first help to follow”.
The first two types of injuries are usually the result of a violent and dangerous impact, such as a fall from a great height or a traffic accident. When the nose and head are injured, and such cases are obvious even to a layman, the damage is serious and can sometimes be fatal. In all probability, the victim will be unconscious and it would be impossible to render first aid. His only course of action is to take the victim to a hospital and leave him in the hands of the doctors.
If the head is not injured, that is, if the injury is only to the front of the face, check the extent of the damage. Any injury to the eye directly, or even to the area around the eye, will need a doctor’s attention. You can try to control the nose bleed, if any, but the person must be rushed to the hospital. You will probably need the care of your ENT surgeon and ophthalmologist.
An injury to the nose and the area around it, meaning the sides and bottom, could mean damage to the sinuses and upper jaw. Ask the victim to pretend they are biting something. Difficulty and pain in moving the mouth indicate a probable maxillary fracture. Also in this case, although one could try to control the bleeding from the nose, the victim needs medical attention. An ENT surgeon and a dental surgeon may need to work together to repair the damage. Therefore, such a case should be quickly taken to the hospital.
The third type of injury is more common. In this type of injury, first aid can be given, but again, it will depend on the cause and nature of the injury. Nose injuries can be broadly grouped as: external wounds; broken bones; obstruction by foreign objects; bleeding from the nostrils.
EXTERNAL INJURIES
External injuries such as abrasions, bruises, cuts, and punctures can be treated as a wound. Clean the affected area, apply an antiseptic and a bandage. Minor abrasions or cuts will heal with proper care. Deep and extensive wounds should be shown to a doctor.
Nose fractures are easily detectable by the distorted shape of the nose, constant pain, and swelling. Fractures must be splinted and corrected, which can only be done by an otolaryngologist.
People with children will be familiar with the third type of nasal injury, that is, blockage of the nasal passage due to the insertion of foreign objects into the nose. “” Often the child may not be aware that he has done something that he should not have done, says the otolaryngologist. “Then the object stays in the nose for days and is discovered only when the infection sets in. Then the parents notice that the child’s nose is swollen or the child complains of pain in the nose.”
However, even if you know the child has stuffed something up his nose, don’t try to get it out yourself. You could push it even more. Sometimes lightly blowing your nose helps dislodge the object. But if the object has edges, it can scratch or bruise the nose and can result in bleeding. Therefore, it is safest to take the child to a doctor, preferably an otolaryngologist, as he or she is better equipped to treat the problem.
NOSEBLEED
Nosebleeds or epistaxis can occur due to several reasons: Sudden weather changes; an increase in blood pressure; a traumatic injury; high fever.
The air we breathe has to be homogenized to a body temperature of 34°C before it reaches the lungs. The nose acts as a temperature controller. If the air is cold, the nose warms it; if the air is too hot, the nose cools it. To help it carry out its function, the nose is heavily lined with blood vessels. The blood supply depends on the difference in body and atmospheric temperatures. When the outside temperature changes suddenly, such as when we go from a hot climate to a cold place, or vice versa, the demands on the blood vessels can be extensive and consequently they are likely to rupture and cause a nosebleed.
An increase in blood pressure forces blood vessels to enlarge and sometimes even burst. Because the capillaries in the nose are fine, they break more easily. Therefore, a nosebleed could be a symptom of hypertension. Also, during airplane flights, if the cabin is depressurized, the difference in air pressure inside and outside the body affects the blood vessels and some passengers may experience nosebleeds.
Any trauma inflicted on the nose, for example when you fall while running and hit your nose on the ground, or when a child is hit in the nose by a ball while playing, breaks the blood vessels inside the nose. Often in these cases, the bleeding may seem heavy, but if there is no fracture, it may not be serious. However, once you have stopped the bleeding, you should have the patient checked out by the doctor.
Sometimes the trauma can be mild, such as when a person burrows too deep to clear their nostrils. In that case, the bleeding stops spontaneously after a few minutes.
A high fever can sometimes be accompanied by a nosebleed. Again, this is because the nose has to adjust to the temperature difference between the body and the outside air. The ear, nose and throat surgeon says: “This is seen occasionally in cases of typhoid fever where the temperature rises very high.”
When bleeding from the nose occurs, you must first support the patient. Don’t let him lie down. If you do that, blood will rush back up into your throat, causing you to choke or cough, increasing pressure on your blood vessels and forcing more blood out. “Sometimes the blood that is pushed back goes to the stomach and the patient vomits it out of the mouth,” says the otolaryngologist. “At those times, everyone panics because the patient has vomited blood. They don’t realize that he’s just throwing out what he’s swallowed.”
Ideally, the patient should be made to sit up; head bent over a bowl so blood can drip from the nose. The pinches closed the nostrils, leaving the patient to breathe through the mouth. This often stops the bleeding. Or you could put an ice pack on your nose. To make the compress, put some crushed ice on a clean tissue or cloth and press it over your nose. Use crushed ice, not chunks, because it can be molded around the nose and even apply pressure. If there is no ice at hand, give the patient a freshly sliced onion, or crushed garlic pods, or ammonium bicarbonate, to smell. The strong scent will repel your sense of smell, forcing your nostrils to constrict, and this stops the bleeding.
IT IS NOT SERIOUS
Nosebleeds are usually not serious. “In a normal person, the bleeding stops on its own after about five minutes,” says the otolaryngologist. “That it lasts a long time and that the flow is abundant are just impressions. What happens is that, in the absence of muscles in the nose, the constricted blood vessels cannot contract. So the bleeding continues until the coagulation begins. And that It usually happens in about five minutes. But if the bleeding continues for longer, don’t panic. Pinch the nostrils or use an ice pack to stop the flow, which will happen after a while as long as there is no serious damage. However, even if the bleeding stops, you should have the injury examined by an otolaryngologist to prevent further complications.”