Nosebleeds occur more frequently in spring… What is the cause of ‘honeymoon nosebleeds’?[이상곤의 실록한의학]〈147〉

2024-04-08 19:53:07

Lee Sang-gon, director of Gapsan Oriental Medicine Clinic

As spring approaches, many people suffer from frequent nosebleeds. Nosebleeds are usually caused by frequent blowing of the nose due to a cold or allergy, scratching the inside of the nose due to itchiness when the nose is dry, sneezing loudly, or trying to forcefully dig out snot. Rhinitis is the biggest enemy that causes nosebleeds. When rhinitis occurs, the pressure in the blood vessels in the nose increases and swells. In this condition, even the slightest stimulus causes the capillaries to burst and cause nosebleeds. Particularly in spring, dry, windy days continue and a lot of allergenic substances float in the air, making allergic rhinitis worse.

To fundamentally treat frequent nosebleeds, you must immediately treat rhinitis in the nose. You should not rely on antihistamines in the name of managing allergies. If you use antihistamines frequently, your nasal mucosa becomes drier and your microcirculation becomes more vulnerable to irritation. It is helpful to humidify frequently and apply Vaseline if your nose feels dry.

The Seungjeongwon Diary records instances of Joseon kings suffering from nosebleeds due to colds. Hyojong suffered from colds a lot due to diabetes (digestion), which started from the beginning of his reign. According to the record from February of the first year of his reign, “(Hyojong’s) nose became dry, and nosebleeds occurred along with larynx pain. It is said that ‘(Hyojong) overworked himself while attending the ancestral rites and suffered a nosebleed as an aftereffect of a cold.’” Even in the 14th year of King Hyeonjong’s reign, there is a record that “as the cold lasted for a long time, the heat rose to the head, dried the nose, and caused nosebleeds.”

King Sukjong, the 19th king of Joseon, also suffered from frequent nosebleeds, but the cause was not a cold or rhinitis. According to the Seungjeongwon Diary, “(Sukjong) had an impatient personality that could not control his anger, and due to the aftereffects of hepatitis, he frequently suffered from the above-mentioned symptom of energy being concentrated on his head, resulting in severe nosebleeds. “When the bleeding became so severe that he had to wet his robe, (the royal doctors) recommended the king to drink Dongbyeon (童便), the urine of a boy under the age of seven.” Dongbyeon was excellent at soothing fever and was used as the last antipyretic medicine during the Joseon Dynasty.

Although it is not a disease, there are times when young men have frequent nosebleeds and this causes concern. This is the ‘honeymoon nosebleed’ in the early stages of newlywed life. The nose is the leading organ in regulating body temperature, and the blood vessels in the nose must adjust the temperature of air coming in from outside to 36.5 degrees in just 0.25 seconds and send it to the lungs. In particular, near the cartilage of the nasal septum, there is an area called ‘Kiesselbach’ where many arteries gather to regulate temperature, and most nosebleeds occur here.

There is a saying, ‘A child’s stomach is soft, and an old man’s stomach is hard.’ In Oriental medicine, elasticity is a power created by raw energy. Among the meridians (meridians that run through the center of the front and back of the body), the dokmaek connects the male genitals and nose. When the blood vessels in the male genitals and nose swell during marital intercourse, or if he is overheated due to overwork, nosebleeds occur. Honeymoon nosebleeds are not dangerous in themselves, but bleeding due to arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure can have life-threatening consequences.

Lotus root (lotus root) draws water up through its roots, keeping the lush leaves fresh. When the pond water dries up, the branches and leaves dry up, but the lotus roots that retain moisture do not die easily. This moisture-retaining property of lotus root is also helpful in treating nosebleeds caused by dry rhinitis. The popular belief about drinking lotus root juice for nosebleeds also originated here.

Lee Sang-gon, director of Gapsan Oriental Medicine Clinic

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2024-04-08 19:53:07