“What causes frequentbloody noses?”
Healthcare providers hear this question a lot, especially from parents. They may report that their children sometimes bump their noses or fall down and get nosebleeds. While this can be distressing, at least these parents know the cause.
More concerning are nosebleeds that seem to happen without a cause. Sometimes children will wake up in the morning with blood on their pillows or dried blood around their nose or face. While the causes of this are numerous, the simple fact is that some people are more prone to frequent bloody noses, particularly during dry weather or as a result of habits they may not even be aware of.
Jaromir Chalabala / EyeEm / Getty Images
Causes
The following conditions or illnesses make developing abloody nosemore likely:
Less common but often more serious causes of nosebleeds include:
Children tend to get bloody nosesmore than adults because they are more likely to pick or rub their noses or put foreign objects into their nostrils. Elderly people are also more susceptible because their mucous membranes are thinner. With that being said, people of all ages can get bloody noses and need to betreated appropriatelyto stop the bleeding.
How to Stop a NosebleedIf you or your child experiences a sudden nosebleed:Sit down, rather than lying down, to reduce the blood flow.Pinch the soft part of the nose, just above the nostrils, for 10 to 15 minutes.
How to Stop a Nosebleed
If you or your child experiences a sudden nosebleed:Sit down, rather than lying down, to reduce the blood flow.Pinch the soft part of the nose, just above the nostrils, for 10 to 15 minutes.
If you or your child experiences a sudden nosebleed:
One Nostril Blocked: Causes and How to Clear It
Treatment
Managing the underlying causes of frequent bloody noses is likely to be the most effective way to keep them from recurring. Sometimes this approach may need to be combined with other treatments.
There’s limited research on the treatment of frequent bloody noses. However, researchers at Harvard Medical School published a study reviewing different treatment options. The research shows that chemical cauterization (spraying a chemical into the nose to shrink blood vessels), surgical ligation (tying-off a burst blood vessel in the nose), embolization (blocking bleeding blood vessels) were most likely to keep bloody noses from recurring long-term.
Patients who underwent these procedures had better results and shorter hospital stays than patients with bloody noses who were treated with, for example, nose packing.
Despite its efficacy, nasal embolization carries risk of stroke, vision loss, ophthalmoplegia (restriction of eye movement),facial palsy, and hematomas (blood clots).Speak with your healthcare provider to understand the benefits and risks of the procedure
Why There’s Blood in Your Nose When It’s Not Bleeding
Prevention
Not all nosebleeds can be prevented. But, if you’re experiencing frequent bloody noses, here are some things you can try that may reduce their number and/or severity:
Although rare, nosebleeds can sometimes be a sign of a serious medical condition such as a tumor. If nose bleeds perists or recurs, one should consult with their healthcare provider.
Nosebleed Causes and Treatment
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tabassom A, Cho JJ.Epistaxis (nose bleed)In: StatPearls.Cleveland Clinic.Nosebleed (epistaxis): Management and treatment.Shargorodsky J, Bleier BS, Holbrook EH, et al.Outcomes analysis in epistaxis management: development of a therapeutic algorithm.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013;149(3):390-8. doi:10.1177/0194599813492949Villwock JA, Jones K.Recent trends in epistaxis management in the United States: 2008-2010.JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013;139(12):1279-84. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2013.5220Cleveland Clinic.Nosebleed (epistaxis): Prevention.Additional ReadingAmerican Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.Nosebleeds.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tabassom A, Cho JJ.Epistaxis (nose bleed)In: StatPearls.Cleveland Clinic.Nosebleed (epistaxis): Management and treatment.Shargorodsky J, Bleier BS, Holbrook EH, et al.Outcomes analysis in epistaxis management: development of a therapeutic algorithm.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013;149(3):390-8. doi:10.1177/0194599813492949Villwock JA, Jones K.Recent trends in epistaxis management in the United States: 2008-2010.JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013;139(12):1279-84. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2013.5220Cleveland Clinic.Nosebleed (epistaxis): Prevention.Additional ReadingAmerican Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.Nosebleeds.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Tabassom A, Cho JJ.Epistaxis (nose bleed)In: StatPearls.Cleveland Clinic.Nosebleed (epistaxis): Management and treatment.Shargorodsky J, Bleier BS, Holbrook EH, et al.Outcomes analysis in epistaxis management: development of a therapeutic algorithm.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013;149(3):390-8. doi:10.1177/0194599813492949Villwock JA, Jones K.Recent trends in epistaxis management in the United States: 2008-2010.JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013;139(12):1279-84. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2013.5220Cleveland Clinic.Nosebleed (epistaxis): Prevention.
Tabassom A, Cho JJ.Epistaxis (nose bleed)In: StatPearls.
Cleveland Clinic.Nosebleed (epistaxis): Management and treatment.
Shargorodsky J, Bleier BS, Holbrook EH, et al.Outcomes analysis in epistaxis management: development of a therapeutic algorithm.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013;149(3):390-8. doi:10.1177/0194599813492949
Villwock JA, Jones K.Recent trends in epistaxis management in the United States: 2008-2010.JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013;139(12):1279-84. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2013.5220
Cleveland Clinic.Nosebleed (epistaxis): Prevention.
American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.Nosebleeds.
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