Why Am I Having Blood in Snot Only in the Morning?

Family Medicine, Primary Care Roots Community Health Center, Hippo Education, Kameda Medical Center

Supervised by Kenji Taylor, MD

Finding a little blood in your snot in the morning can be due to mild nasal dryness or irritation that happens overnight and is often not a serious problem.

Explanation

When you sleep, the air in your home might be dry, or you might breathe through your mouth, which can dry out the inside of your nose. This dryness makes the small, delicate blood vessels inside the nose more likely to break, causing a tiny bit of blood to mix with your mucus. Sleeping with a humidifier may help in these cases. Allergies, like those from pollen or dust, can also make the inside of your nose irritated or inflamed. This irritation might increase while you sleep, leading to a small amount of blood in the morning. Sometimes, if you blow your nose hard when you wake up, that can also cause the blood vessels to break. In some cases, nasal conditions related to allergies have been shown to cause similar symptoms. If you have high blood pressure or sleep apnea, there might be extra pressure on your nasal tissues, but this is less common. If the bleeding happens a lot or is heavy, it's important to talk to a doctor for a closer look. Remember, this information is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice.

(References)

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Guo Y, Wu H, Wei Y. Nocturnal nasal congestion is associated with uncontrolled blood pressure in patients with hypertension comorbid obstructive sleep apnea. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2022 Nov;279(11):5215-5221. doi: 10.1007/s00405-022-07352-4. Epub 2022 Apr 1. PMID: 35362753.
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