Dried blood is called a clot. It is composed of mucus component interspersed in blood cells. Mucus in different parts of your body has different names and snot is used to refer to mucus that is coming from the nose. Whenever you have mucus that is reddish brown or tinged red, it is a sign of blood. As blood mixes with the mucus, it gives that red tone.
The presence of these blood clots should not be over emphasized to raise alarm, as most of the causes of this condition are innocent. Persistence in blood stained mucus should however be evaluated careful by specialist to eliminate serious causes such as malignancy.
Sinusitis, which are inflamed sinuses may bleed causing dried blood stained mucus plugs in the nose. It may also arise due to soreness in the nose. When the tiny blood vessels within the nasal passage break open, they could leak blood that mixes with mucus forming the tinged snot. Dry air may predispose to this condition.
Saline sprays, could be used to hydrate the nasal passages thus helping in reducing dryness that could lead to breaking of the tiny vessels. In addition, by gently blowing and wiping your nose, it could help in preventing sores from developing in front of nose. Bronchitis may manifest in early stages as brown or red phlegm coughed out.
In asthmatic patients, the mucus is pink to red in color. If there is substantial amount of blood, which might have lasted for a number of days, it is important you see a doctor to evaluate you and determine what the cause of epistaxis, and evaluate need for medical intervention.
Mucus in the nose helps in lubricating the sinus cavity and moisturizing it air as it enters the upper respiratory tract, something that prevents drying out. Mucus also traps bacteria that are present in nasal cavity and this helps prevent infections of the respiratory tract which can be debilitating.
Causes of dried blood in nose
The bloody mucus being discharged from nose may be as a result of nasal allergies or an infection. There are other factors that could lead to bloody snot and include blunt force trauma and an injury. Some conditions such as lung disease or nasal septum might also cause blood in mucus. Others include sinusitis and nasal tumor.
If a person suffers from upper respiratory infection like common cold, the mucus membrane tends to produce excess mucus, which might be spotted within blood. Such spots of blood may be due to the constant blowing of nose and the irritation of nasal passage. This, though typically a harmless state, it may cause concern especially if the blood seems to be a lot.
However, the noticeable bloody snot will usually disappear when the cold condition runs its course. Dry air and lack of humidity could also cause bloody mucus and the individuals may notice this blood when they blow their nose. This is most experienced when one blows the nose after waking up in the morning.
Usually, the dry air makes the nasal passages to become inflamed thus causing the blood vessels to bulge and bleed. That blood could be visible in mucus or nasal discharge. A person suffering from disease of the lungs may also see blood in mucus especially when coughing up. Bronchitis is an infection of the lung’s bronchial tubes and it is caused by bacteria. This condition could produce spots of blood in mucus.
Lung cancer and tuberculosis are other conditions that could show blood spots in mucus after coughing up. Another disease, pneumonia is also likely to lead to presence of blood in snot. Pneumonia causes the lungs to inflame and it leads to infection, which makes the blood to mix with mucus.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease, which makes patients to cough up mucus that is thick, and often one may have mucus that is tinged with spots of blood. People who suffer from cystic fibrosis might be more vulnerable to developing respiratory infections that are recurrent.
Although in most cases, the bloody mucus in nose is related to common day activities like blowing the nose, irritation due to infection like cold and flu, or an injury, in other times, it might occur as a result of a serious health condition and could be a warning sign of a big medical problem.
High blood pressure is a chronic and lifelong condition that could cause bloody nasal mucus. Regardless of the suspected cause, it is essential that you consult a medical practitioner to be examined and determine the exact condition or activity that might be causing the blood to leak from vessels and mix with mucus.
When the blood in snot is abundant, recurrent and persistent, there is good reason to visit a medical facility for check up. It could be as a result of an underlying serious illness that might need to be examined properly and medical treatment offered in advance. Only a qualified doctor is able to diagnose the exact cause of blood in mucus especially if it is accompanied by other troubling symptoms and it is not resolving on its own.
