Rhinorrhagia vs. Rhinorrhea

Main Difference

The main difference between Rhinorrhagia and Rhinorrhea is that the Rhinorrhagia is a Bleeding from the nose and Rhinorrhea is a type of medical symptom where the nasal cavity is filled with fluid mucus.

• Rhinorrhagia

  A nosebleed, also known as epistaxis ( EP-ih-STAK-sis), is the common occurrence of bleeding from the nose. It is usually noticed when blood drains out through the nostrils.

  There are two types: anterior (the most common), and posterior (less common, more likely to require medical attention). Sometimes in more severe cases, the blood can come up the nasolacrimal duct and out from the eye. Fresh blood and clotted blood can also flow down into the stomach and cause nausea and vomiting.Although the sight of large amounts of blood can be alarming and may warrant medical attention, nosebleeds are rarely fatal, accounting for only 4 of the 2.4 million deaths in the U.S. in 1999. About 60% of people have a nosebleed at some point in their life. About 10% of nosebleeds are serious.

• Rhinorrhea

  Rhinorrhea or rhinorrhoea is a condition where the nasal cavity is filled with a significant amount of mucus fluid. The condition, commonly known as a runny nose, occurs relatively frequently. Rhinorrhea is a common symptom of allergies (hay fever) or certain diseases, such as the common cold. It can be a side effect of crying, exposure to cold temperatures, cocaine abuse or withdrawal, such as from opioids like methadone. Treatment for rhinorrhea is not usually necessary, but there are a number of medical treatments and preventive techniques available.

  The term was coined in 1866 and is a combination of the Greek terms rhino- (“of the nose”) and -rhoia (“discharge” or “flow”).