Nosebleeds

Key takeaways

• A nosebleed is when the blood vessels in your nose break and causes bleeding.
• Causes can include dry air, injury, infections, allergies, high altitude, blood-thinning medications, recreational drugs, deviated septum and frequent nasal spray use.
• To manage a nosebleed, try leaning forward, pinching the nose (applying firm pressure). squeeze the nostrils together while sitting upright and slightly forward for 15 minutes.

Overview

What is a nosebleed?

A nosebleed happens when a blood vessel in the lining of your nose breaks and causes bleeding. This tissue is thin and delicate. The blood vessels are close to the surface. That means they can break and bleed easily. Symptoms may include blood running out of the nose, the taste of blood in the back of your throat and nausea. Nosebleeds usually only happen in one nostril at a time.

People who have a higher risk of nosebleeds are those who:

• Have allergies
• Take blood-thinning medications
• Use recreational drugs
• Work around chemical irritants
• Have a deviated septum
• Use antihistamine and decongestant nasal sprays frequently

Other names for nosebleeds

Epistaxis

Types of nosebleeds

There are two main types of nosebleeds.

• Anterior nosebleed — This type happens near the front of your nose. It affects the blood vessels in the wall that divides your nose in half. Those blood vessels are very fragile and can break easily. This is the most common type and often happens in children. It's not usually serious.
• Posterior nosebleed — This type of nosebleed happens deeper in your nose. It involves larger blood vessels at the back of the nose near your throat. This can cause the blood to go down your throat. Adults usually get this type of nosebleed. It might require medical help.

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Possible Causes

What can cause a nosebleed?

Anything that makes a blood vessel break in the nose can cause a nosebleed. Things that make the nasal lining dry or irritated can also cause a nosebleed. Some common causes of a nosebleed include:

• Dry air that dries the nasal membranes
• Injury or pressure on the nose
• Infections, such as colds that cause sneezing or blowing your nose
• Allergies
• High altitudes with thinner, drier air
• Deviated septum
• Blood-thinning medications

If you're not sure what is causing your nosebleeds, meet with a health care provider to discuss your symptoms.

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Treatment & management

How can nosebleeds be treated?

It is important to work with a health care provider to determine the cause of your nosebleeds so that it can be treated appropriately. Try these steps to stop a nosebleed:

• Sit upright and lean forward
• Pinch your nose and apply firm pressure for 15 minutes

MinuteClinic offers a variety of services that can help with diagnosis and treatment.

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When to seek medical care

Call 911 if:

• Bleeding lasts more than 15-20 minutes with direct pressure.
• You have rapid blood loss with large amounts of blood.
• It causes breathing difficulties.
• The nosebleed happens due to a serious injury or a head injury.

Contact your provider if:

• You get frequent nosebleeds.
• A child under age 2 gets a nosebleed.
• You have blood-clotting issues, or you're on blood-thinning medication.
• You also have lots of bruising on your body with nosebleeds.

In general, if you are concerned about your nosebleeds, check in with a health care provider. You can find a variety of services at a MinuteClinic near you.

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