Medical Health Encyclopedia

Nosebleed

Causes:

• Sudden trauma to the nose, very cold or very dry air, fragile blood vessels, nasal sprays, strenuous exercise, or picking the nose cause most nosebleeds.
• Recurrent nosebleeds may be a symptom of an underlying disorder such as high blood pressure, taking large doses of aspirin or blood-thinning medication, allergies, a bleeding disorder, or a tumor of the nose or sinuses.
• Most nosebleeds come from blood vessels in the front of the nose. Some are caused by bleeding from the back of the nose into the throat (posterior bleeding) -- these are more difficult to control and almost always require medical attention.

References:

Marx J. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 5th ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 2002:933.

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Cummings CW, Flint PW, Haughey BH, et al. Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery. 4th ed. St Louis, Mo; Mosby; 2005:942-960.

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