Bangkok: Shocking news is being shared on social media about the loss of an eyeball after simply experiencing a nosebleed, which turned out to be a sign of a serious disease in the nasal cavity.

According to Thai News Agency, a story circulating on social media claims that "a simple nosebleed could be a sign of a serious nasal disease leading to blindness." The "Sure Before Sharing" program confirmed this by consulting with the President of Academic Affairs at the Royal College of Ophthalmologists of Thailand, who verified that this claim is "true."

Is every nosebleed dangerous? First, it's important to understand that not every nosebleed is a sign of a serious illness. Generally, this is caused by the rupture of capillaries in the nasal cavity due to harmless factors such as picking the nose, trauma, extreme heat, or high blood pressure.

A Silent Killer: Sinus Cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma). In the news case, the nosebleed that led to blindness was caused by cancer of the nasal cavity or sinuses. The area around our nose and eyes contains air cavities (sinuses), and the most common type of cancer found in this area is "Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the sinuses."

As cancer cells grow in the air cavity under the eye socket, the malignant tumor gradually invades and fills the cavity, pushing inward into the eye socket. In the early stages, this tumor causes the eyeball to shift slightly forward, giving the appearance of bulging eye due to thyroid eye disease. This can cause confusion and misdiagnosis by doctors or patients themselves initially.

Warning signs to watch for, in addition to nosebleeds, include: signs of eye abnormalities that may indicate a problem in the nasal cavity spreading to the eyes; these include:

Feeling of pressure on the eyes: It feels like your eyes are being pushed from the back to the front.

Changes in eye appearance: The eyes are not opened equally wide.

Incomplete eye movement: One eye may not move fully due to a malignant tumor located at the back of the eye.

Vision abnormalities: Symptoms include double vision or the development of noticeable strabismus (crossed eyes or misaligned eyes).

Why does it sometimes lead to eye loss? By the time severe symptoms appear or the true cause is discovered, the disease has often progressed to an advanced stage. Because nosebleeds alone are often overlooked as normal and harmless, patients miss the opportunity for early treatment. When the tumor has spread so much that the eye can no longer be saved, doctors must surgically remove both the eyeball and the tumor to prevent further spread to other organs. Afterward, the patient must undergo continued treatment with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Conclusion: The widely shared news that "nosebleeds may be a sign of a serious illness and could lead to blindness" is indeed possible. Our bodies are interconnected, so we shouldn't ignore even minor warning signs like chronic nosebleeds. This is especially true if accompanied by other eye symptoms; you should seek immediate medical attention for a thorough diagnosis. Early detection of any lesions can significantly reduce damage and the risk of organ loss.