Minimal temperature, mean wind speed, and mean relative humidity are associated with spontaneous epistaxis in Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Epistaxis is a commonly encountered condition; however, factors that have been associated with epistaxis are controversial. Although several previous studies have evaluated the relationship between meteorological factors and epistaxis, studies conducted in Korea has been nearly reported. We attempted to evaluate the meteorological factors associated with the frequency of patients presenting with epistaxis in a tertiary hospital. Methods:We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients presenting with spontaneous epistaxis in an urban tertiary medical center, during one year. Patients with a clear etiology for epistaxis (such as trauma, previous surgery) were regarded as cases of secondary epistaxis and were excluded from this study. Daily climatic data were collected from the website of Korea Meteorological Administration. Meteorological factors affecting the frequency of patients presenting with epistaxis were statistically analyzed.Results: Among 350 enrolled subjects, 219 were males and 131 were females, and the mean age was 44.94 ± 26.02 years. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses revealed that minimal temperature and mean wind speed were significant factors that affected the presence of patients presenting with epistaxis to the hospital. Furthermore, ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that decreases in minimal temperature and mean relative humidity were associated with a increase in the number of patients presenting with epistaxis. Conclusion:Minimal temperature and mean wind speed were significantly different between days with epistaxis and days without epistaxis patients presenting with epistaxis, and minimal temperature and mean relative humidity were associated with number of patients presenting with epistaxis. Our findings suggested that these meteorological factors might affect the spontaneous epistaxis in Seoul, Korea.

Age-specific associations between environmental factors and epistaxis

“…We found that average relative humidity, lowest air temperature, sunshine duration, concentration of SO 2 and average wind speed negatively correlated with the epistaxis, and concentration of PM10, average air temperature, and average ground temperature positively correlated with the epistaxis (data not shown). Similarly, a previous study performed in Korea indicated that temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity were associated with epistaxis; however, age was not considered in that study ( 6 ). In the present study, the association between each meteorological factor and epistaxis was different according to age group.…”

“…Multiple factors, such as infection, allergy, trauma, use of anticoagulants, and hypertension, have been evaluated as risk factors for epistaxis ( 3 , 4 ). It has been suggested that environmental factors, such as meteorological factors and air pollutants, are important factors that are closely associated with the occurrence of epistaxis and hospital visits due to epistaxis ( 5 , 6 ). Nunez et al demonstrated that the monthly rate of admissions for epistaxis was closely associated with the monthly ambient temperature ( 7 ).…”

Etiology and clinical characteristics of primary epistaxis

“…We also found that non-nasal septum hemorrhage usually occurs in winter and spring, when the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor areas is large in northern China, resulting in obvious contraction and relaxation of nasal blood vessels, resulting in dryness of nasal mucosa and increased risk of ruptured nasal blood vessels. Low temperature and dryness are risk factors for nasal bleeding (1,17). The treatment of primary nosebleed includes tamponade, local application of drugs (18), microwave therapy (19), sphenopalatine artery ligation (20), and vascular interventional embolization (21).…”

Effect of Average Relative Humidity on Epistaxis

“…Although the detailed pathological causes of epistaxis are unknown, it is commonly believed that epistaxis occurs during the colder, drier months [1]. Several papers reported the relationship between the incidence of epistaxis and a number of environmental factors, including season, temperature, and humidity [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Although the results varied, most reports commonly supported a negative correlation between the average humidity and the incidence of epistaxis [1,2,[4][5][6][7].…”

“…Several papers reported the relationship between the incidence of epistaxis and a number of environmental factors, including season, temperature, and humidity [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Although the results varied, most reports commonly supported a negative correlation between the average humidity and the incidence of epistaxis [1,2,[4][5][6][7]. However, there have been no detailed reports on the extent to which each percentage change in humidity affects epistaxis.…”