BAV = nosebleeding???

[PathFinder]

when I was a child, I use to have nosebleeding very often. This stopped somwhere over my 14-th. Now it happens very rarely (once an year), most when I am too tired (haven't slept 2 nights) or something. May be, it is an effect of the defective arteries tissue of the BAVs...? What is your opinion about? I don't have any arteries or aortas desease yet, but I just wonder, if there is any link between BAV and one little nose capillar.

 

[PJmomrunner]

That's an interesting question. I had a chronic nosebleeds when I was a kid that sent me to the general practitioner doctor for cauterization on several occasions. Never helped. Finally, I went to an ENT (otolaryngologist or Ears, Nose and Throat doctor) who burned the He!! out of the vessel and I never had the problem again. (The occasional irritation-related bleed, but nothing chronic like it had been.)

 

[readsforfun]

Very interesting thread for me! I had my first nosebleed 2 years ago and get them on the average of twice per month. Most not bad, some worse. Takes about 15-20 minutes to stop. I'm scheduled to have aortic valve replaced with mechanical valve and subsequently will be "coumadin" bound. Am very nervous about the effect this will have on the nosebleeds. I've read several articles that say cauterization doesn't always work and is quite unpleasant!! PJ, you said it worked for you. The first time? My aortic valve is not "bicuspid". Any other thoughts out there?
jan

 

[MrP]

Interesting observation. Frequent nosebleeds in children is many times a result of picking the nose. Many who have chronic nosebleeds have a rare and serious disease called hereditary hemarraghic telangiectasia...HHT (see www.hht.org). Telangiectasia is a direct artery-vein connection (lack capillaries), and most normal people have a few telangiectasia somewhere on their body...most often on the fingers or inside the nose. HHT patients have many telagiectasia, including on their face, fingers, inside the nose, GI tract, and in the lungs, as well as big telangiectasia or AVMs in their brain. HHT can be very serious and life threatening.

My mother's father had HHT, but my mother did not inherit it...although her siblings unfortunately did. HHT is an expressive hereditary disease and does not skip generations. Since my mother doesn't have it, I don't. I did have nosebleeds as a child which were later attributed to a single telangiectasia in my nose.

My BAV was inherited from my father.

Hope this helps.

 

[MikeB]

Thats funny I wondered the same thing. Before my surgery I would have a nose bleed atleast once a month but since my surgery I havent had one, strange. You would think with coumadin you would get them more often.

 

[epstns]

Something else to consider -- blood pressure. I am a BAV/aortic stenosis patient. Through my young adult years, into early middle age, I had more nosebleeds than average. I also had untreated hypertension (BP 150/100). As soon as I started medication to control the hypertension, the nosebleeds stopped. There may be a weakness of the tissue, but other things like your blood pressure also have an effect.

 

[PJmomrunner]

Jan - Cauterization did not work the first time or the second or the third.... It finally worked when I went to a different doctor. His brand of cauterization was far more unpleasant than the general practitioner's brand, but it did work the first time. The many unsuccessful attempts merely stung and brought tears to the eyes. The successful attempt included numbing the area, the sound of scraping (against cartilage?), pain and a nasty scab. A fair enough trade for no more nosebleeds, I guess. I'm sure I even thought so as a kid.

 

[Wise]

I've probably has a nose bleed about one to three times a year as an adult. Don't remember much of a problem as a child.

 

[readsforfun]

Great input on the nosebleed issue. I'm still up in the air about it. Part of me says, "call the surgeon and tell him you'd prefer tissue valve", the other part says, "get the mechanical and get a cauterization from an ENT". Back and forth, back and forth!! Drive myself crazy!!

Mr P: Checked the hht.org site. Very informative. Still going through it.

MikeB: Hard to believe you've had none since the surgery! Congrats!!!

Steve: My blood pressure is always low (never more than 120/60). So, I know that can't be the problem.

PJ: Thanks for the details on cauterization. Not something I'll enjoy, but maybe my best shot. My ENT doctor told me to come in when I get a nosebleed so she can see where it's coming from. However, it seems I always get them at times other than her 9-5 hours!! Wouldn't you know!

Jan