Does Dry Weather Cause Nosebleeds?

My nose started to bleed first during the day, and I know I wasn’t picking, and then during the night, when I can’t be sure if I was picking!

Because I’m on a blood thinner, I bleed longer than normal. Several people said it is the dry weather. After 5 days of nose bleeds, I went to urgent care. When I was 10 years old, I remember being at the hospital for a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop, and was cauterized.

I knew that they could do something. So first they tried cauterization after many questions, including the question “Are you a nose picker?”

The cauterization didn’t work, so the doctor said that the next step was to put in a balloon. A balloon, now what does that mean? I was thinking of a small balloon to put pressure on the bleed. And it is something kind of like that.

I had a 1-inch thing sticking out of my nose and at least a 1-inch thing in my nose! The piece sticking out of my nose made it difficult to eat or drink. I learned to use a straw and eat with my left hand out of the left side of my mouth.

The whole time thinking, this better work. The doctor said, that if it doesn’t work then I would have to go to an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctor.

My daughter is an RN that works in MedSurg and was with me on her way to work. She assisted the doctor in the balloon procedure and assured him that she could take it out 2–3 days later. After one day I was ready to have it removed. But no, I had to wait. I hurt all over my head.

I had an almost constant headache, my mouth ached, my throat hurt and I’m sneezing way too much. To be fair, I don’t know if any of that was related to my nosebleed. I had been to the dentist that morning and later went to Urgent Care and was referred to the Emergency Room.

And yes, I took a covid test and do not have covid. After being with all those sick people I probably need to keep testing as that will be next. I am one of those who have been fully vaccinated and have not gotten covid.

The dentist suggested my mouth ache, itchy ears, and current nosebleeds may be due to a sinus issue. I take a premed of 4 amoxicillin for the dentist, as required by my primary. I wonder if that will help with the sinus issue.

Boy, do I ever sound like a sicko. The good news is that my teeth are in great shape! I even heard the person cleaning my teeth say to the dentist, “Everything looks good. No problems that I see and her home dental care is great!”

So where am I going with this? Something is wrong. Are the nosebleeds done? Are we just treating the symptoms and not the condition? Even though I mentioned and asked if it is a sinus infection, that is someone else’s purview.

Someone mentioned to me that medical care is a shitshow right now. With the bottom line being money.

I heard from the doctor that the ER is busier than usual and that he believed it to be the start of the new norm.

I heard in urgent care, “Sorry for the wait, we have been lined up since 9:00 a.m. today.” I asked if that was new and was told, “Not lately.”

I hear all over the place that it takes forever to get an appointment. There is not enough staff. There are too many wanting to get procedures done that were put off during the pandemic.

As an old person, this is a bit scary. I’m already waiting for cardiology to change a med that I believe I am having side effects from. And have fears that if it isn’t the med, then is it cancer?

I found out something else. I may be a picker as I was woken up twice during the night as I banged into the balloon. Nothing definitive, but maybe. Then there were two others with nosebleeds in the UC while I waited.

It may be both nosepickers and dry weather. The other two in the UC with nosebleeds were young children. Still no sure answer. What do you think?

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Published first in Badform on Medium