Blood on the Inside of My Nostrils When Cleaning?

Question

I have heard that if any damage is done to the nose a good sign would be bleeding. I was wondering how much bleeding is considered a sign,because I usually clean my nose out with a qtip and have noticed some blood in the inside of one of my nostrils, it's not a tremendous amount of blood, it looks like something from a scab. So my question is how much of an amount of blood should I be worried about? And is it normal to bleed from the inside of my nose? I'm 7 1/2 months post op rhino. thanks.

Anthony Bared, MD, FACS · Answer

You have likely simply irritated your nasal mucosa with the Q-tip to the point of bleeding. You should not be manipulating your nose with a Q-tip. You are also greatly increasing your chances of introducing an infection by manipulating your nose. If you are experiencing any dryness or crusting try using over the counter nasal saline sprays (e.g. Ocean nasal spray) or a humidifying nasal ointment (e.g. Ayr gel).

Carlo Honrado, MD, FACS · Answer

It is rather uncommon to be bleeding from surgery this far out. However, it may be related to the cleaning you are doing with the q-tip. The front part of the septum where you may be bleeding from is very vascular and can bleed if traumatized. I would have your surgeon examine your nose to ensure that everything is healing as planned. I would also not be aggressive with the cleaning for now.

Blood on the Inside of My Nostrils When Cleaning?

Answers (2)