What Causes Nosebleeds?

Nosebleeds may seem frightening, but they're rarely serious. Sometimes simple irritation causes blood to seep from the nose. At other times, it may be an underlying medical condition like nasal allergies. Luckily, a simple pinch of the nose may stop most nosebleeds. The following article examines the most common causes of nosebleeds.

Why Do Our Noses Bleed?

• Ever wonder why it's so easy for your nose to bleed? One of the nose's purposes is to moisten and filter air inhaled into our bodies. This requires that the nose contains many small blood vessels. These vessels must lie close to the surface. Unfortunately, this is an area where we may easily injure the blood vessels. The slightest bit of irritation may promote bleeding ranging from a trickle to a stream.

Irritation to the Nose

• Irritation causes nosebleeds by disturbing the lining of the nose. The most common culprit is our fingers. Picking your nose typically coincides with a dry nose, which further exacerbate nosebleeds. This also occurs if you blow your nose too hard. The air itself can cause nosebleeds. Dry air moving in and out the nose can cause the nose to crust then crack and bleed if further irritated. If your child develops a nosebleed, look in their nose. Foreign objects inserted in the nose cause nosebleeds as well.

Medical Conditions

• If you develop nosebleeds, it may be a condition involving the nose like allergic rhinitis, sinusitis or the common cold. The irritation, dryness and frequent sneezing that occur with those conditions may cause nosebleeds. Another condition associated with causing nosebleeds is high blood pressure. People taking anticoagulants such as aspirin tend to increase bleeding in all areas of the body including the nose.

Prevention/Solution

• Prevent nosebleeds by keeping the air moist, especially during the winter when the air is dry. A nasal spray to keep the inner part of the nose moist helps as well. Other people find applying petroleum jelly or a water-soluble lubricant helpful. Normally, you can stop a nosebleed by pinching the sides of the nose. This takes about 10 minutes to work.

Warning

• Contact your physician if pinching the nose doesn't stop the bleeding, if you had a head injury or if there's a chance you have a broken nose.
  After an accident, nosebleeds may be a sign of internal bleeding.
  Do not blow your nose or cause further irritation after a nosebleed.
  Avoid lying horizontally.
  Frequent nosebleeds may be caused by a more serious disorder like high blood pressure, leukemia or blood clotting problems.