A nosebleed , also known as epistaxis , is an instance of bleeding from the nose. Risk factors include trauma, including putting the finger in the nose, blood thinners , high blood pressure , alcoholism , seasonal allergies , dry weather, and inhaled corticosteroids.
Prevention may include the use of petroleum jelly in the nose. Nosebleeds can occur due to a variety of reasons. Some of the most common causes include trauma from nose picking , blunt trauma such as a motor vehicle accident , or insertion of a foreign object more likely in children. Most causes of nose bleeding are self-limiting and do not require medical attention. However, if nosebleeds are recurrent or do not respond to home therapies, an underlying cause may need to be investigated.
Some rarer causes are listed below: [ 2 ] [ 4 ] [ 12 ]. The nasal mucosa contains a rich blood supply that can be easily ruptured and cause bleeding. Rupture may be spontaneous or initiated by trauma. Spontaneous epistaxis is more common in the elderly as the nasal mucosa lining becomes dry and thin and blood pressure tends to be higher. The elderly are also more prone to prolonged nosebleeds as their blood vessels are less able to constrict and control the bleeding.
The vast majority of nosebleeds occur in the front anterior front part of the nose from the nasal septum. This area is richly endowed with blood vessels Kiesselbach's plexus.
This region is also known as Little's area. Bleeding farther back in the nose is known as a posterior bleed and is usually due to bleeding from Woodruff's plexus , a venous plexus situated in the posterior part of inferior meatus. They can be associated with bleeding from both nostrils and with a greater flow of blood into the mouth. Sometimes blood flowing from other sources of bleeding passes through the nasal cavity and exits the nostrils. It is thus blood coming from the nose but is not a true nosebleed, that is, not truly originating from the nasal cavity.
