QUESTION: I suffer from frequent nosebleeds which always arrive at the worst time.
There is never any warning, nor is it the result of a bang or blowing my nose.
Any ideas on what may be causing them?
ANSWER: There are many causes of nosebleeds (epistaxis) and although some of them sound quite serious and well may be, the most frequent reasons for nosebleeds are relatively simple.
Nosebleeds can occur because of infections in the nose, such as rhinitis and sinusitis, and can be provoked by infections in the body including scarlet fever, malaria and typhoid fever.
Hypertension with its elevated blood pressures is a leading cause of nosebleeds, and then there's a whole list of blood diseases which reduce the ability of the blood to coagulate, thus permitting nosebleeds to occur with just the minimum of trauma.
Severe epistaxis is often associated with liver disease and the underlying cause must be treated if the nosebleeds are to cease.
Most nasal bleeding arises in a group of blood vessels which are on the lower front part of the partition that divides our nose in half (the septum).
This area is called Kiesselbach's area and most bleeding may be controlled by pinching the sides of the nose against the septum in the middle and holding them tightly in place for from five to ten minutes.
If this is not successful, then the bleeding site must be found and controlled by electrocautery or chemical cautery using silver nitrate. Bleeding can also be provoked by the changes in temperature and humidity that we experience as we move from indoors to outdoors, particularly in cold weather. But the bottom line is that most nosebleeds are provoked by picking away at the nose with a finger or other blunt instrument.
Some people are so caught up in this habit that they are unaware that they have provoked nosebleeds themselves and it takes a member of the family or a friendly neighbor to point this fact out to them.
Should nosebleeds be very frequent and difficult to control, your physician's physical examination may hold some personal answers for you.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
