Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnterior CausesPosterior CausesOther CausesFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anterior Causes
Posterior Causes
Other Causes
Frequently Asked Questions
This article will give an overview of the common nosebleed causes and their treatments.
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Causes of Anterior Nosebleeds
Most nosebleeds occur within the lower end of the nose in the lower septum—the wall separating the two airways of the nose that ends in the nostrils. These blood vessels lie close to the surface, making them susceptible to injury.
A clue that a nosebleed is anterior is that blood will flow out of one nostril when the affected person is sitting or standing. Anterior nosebleeds usually don’t require medical attention unless the bleeding can’t be stopped or it happens in a very young child.
The most common causes of anterior nosebleeds include:
Smoking can dry out the nose, so quitting can be a part of treating recurrent nosebleeds (among many other health benefits).
Treatment of Anterior Nosebleeds
Here are sometips for treating anterior nosebleeds:
When Urgent Medical Attention Is Required
Anterior nosebleeds don’t typically require emergency medical treatment. But you should get immediate attention if:
Causes of Posterior Nosebleeds
Posterior nosebleeds can be very serious and do require urgent medical attention.
Upper posterior septum nosebleeds are rare. When they do occur, bleeding begins high within the nose and blood flows down the back of the mouth and throat even when the person is sitting up or standing.
Posterior septum nosebleeds have a variety of causes. They’re more common in:
Treatment of Posterior Nosebleeds
Treatment is initially the same as for anterior nosebleeds.
Additionally, your healthcare provider may pack the nose with gauze (do not try packing it yourself) or an inflatable latex balloon if the bleeding does not stop.
They may also cauterize the bleeding vessel. This involves using an electrical or heated device to burn the ruptured blood vessel to stop the bleeding. The healthcare provider uses a local anesthetic before they begin this procedure.
Besides nose picking, dryness, trauma, and forceful nose blowing, there are other less common causes of nosebleeds (some of which can predispose a person tofrequent nosebleeds) like:
Sometimes minor nosebleeds just happen, and you never know the reason.
Frequently Asked QuestionsYes, dehydration is a common cause of nosebleeds.Staying hydrated and keeping the inside of your nose moist can help prevent them.It’s not certain, but some research has looked into a connection between stress and nosebleeds. A connection between nosebleeds and high blood pressure, which can be stress-related, has also been proposed.After the bleeding stops, don’t rub or blow the nose for a couple of days or take hot baths and showers.. Don’t consume hot beverages or those high in caffeine.Learn MoreScab Inside the Nose
Yes, dehydration is a common cause of nosebleeds.Staying hydrated and keeping the inside of your nose moist can help prevent them.
It’s not certain, but some research has looked into a connection between stress and nosebleeds. A connection between nosebleeds and high blood pressure, which can be stress-related, has also been proposed.
After the bleeding stops, don’t rub or blow the nose for a couple of days or take hot baths and showers.. Don’t consume hot beverages or those high in caffeine.Learn MoreScab Inside the Nose
After the bleeding stops, don’t rub or blow the nose for a couple of days or take hot baths and showers.. Don’t consume hot beverages or those high in caffeine.
Learn MoreScab Inside the Nose
11 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.American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.Nosebleeds.Villafuerte FC, Corante N.Chronic mountain sickness: clinical aspects, etiology, management, and treatment.High Altitude Medicine & Biology. 2016;17(2):61-69. doi:10.1089/ham.2016.0031National Library of Medicine.Epistaxis.Tunkel DE, Anne S, Payne SC, et al.Clinical practice guideline: nosebleed(Epistaxis).Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2020;162(S1). doi:10.1177/0194599819890327Utiyama DM, Yoshida CT, Goto DM, de Santana Carvalho T, de Paula Santos U, Koczulla AR, Saldiva PH, Nakagawa NK.The effects of smoking and smoking cessation on nasal mucociliary clearance, mucus properties and inflammation.Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2016 Jul;71(6):344-50. doi:10.6061/clinics/2016(06)10American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.Nosebleeds.Elwany S, Ibrahim AA, Soliman AI, Bazak R, Ibrahim HA.The significance of atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients with epistaxis.J Laryngol Otol.2018 Apr;132(4):323-326. doi:10.1017/S0022215118000221National Organization for Rare Disorders.Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia.Ameya G, Biresaw G, Mohammed H, Chebud A, Meskele M, Hussein M, Endris M.Epistaxis and its associated factors among precollege students in southern Ethiopia.J Blood Med. 2021 Jan 6;12:1-8. doi:10.2147/JBM.S285403Andreeff R.Epistaxis.J Am Acad Physicians Assist. 2016;29(1):46-47. doi:10.1097/01.JAA.0000473373.47749.5fKikidis D, Tsioufis K, Papanikolaou V, Zerva K, Hantzakos A.Is epistaxis associated with arterial hypertension? A systematic review of the literature.Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2014;271(2):237-243. doi:10.1007/s00405-013-2450-z
11 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.American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.Nosebleeds.Villafuerte FC, Corante N.Chronic mountain sickness: clinical aspects, etiology, management, and treatment.High Altitude Medicine & Biology. 2016;17(2):61-69. doi:10.1089/ham.2016.0031National Library of Medicine.Epistaxis.Tunkel DE, Anne S, Payne SC, et al.Clinical practice guideline: nosebleed(Epistaxis).Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2020;162(S1). doi:10.1177/0194599819890327Utiyama DM, Yoshida CT, Goto DM, de Santana Carvalho T, de Paula Santos U, Koczulla AR, Saldiva PH, Nakagawa NK.The effects of smoking and smoking cessation on nasal mucociliary clearance, mucus properties and inflammation.Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2016 Jul;71(6):344-50. doi:10.6061/clinics/2016(06)10American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.Nosebleeds.Elwany S, Ibrahim AA, Soliman AI, Bazak R, Ibrahim HA.The significance of atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients with epistaxis.J Laryngol Otol.2018 Apr;132(4):323-326. doi:10.1017/S0022215118000221National Organization for Rare Disorders.Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia.Ameya G, Biresaw G, Mohammed H, Chebud A, Meskele M, Hussein M, Endris M.Epistaxis and its associated factors among precollege students in southern Ethiopia.J Blood Med. 2021 Jan 6;12:1-8. doi:10.2147/JBM.S285403Andreeff R.Epistaxis.J Am Acad Physicians Assist. 2016;29(1):46-47. doi:10.1097/01.JAA.0000473373.47749.5fKikidis D, Tsioufis K, Papanikolaou V, Zerva K, Hantzakos A.Is epistaxis associated with arterial hypertension? A systematic review of the literature.Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2014;271(2):237-243. doi:10.1007/s00405-013-2450-z
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.
American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.Nosebleeds.Villafuerte FC, Corante N.Chronic mountain sickness: clinical aspects, etiology, management, and treatment.High Altitude Medicine & Biology. 2016;17(2):61-69. doi:10.1089/ham.2016.0031National Library of Medicine.Epistaxis.Tunkel DE, Anne S, Payne SC, et al.Clinical practice guideline: nosebleed(Epistaxis).Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2020;162(S1). doi:10.1177/0194599819890327Utiyama DM, Yoshida CT, Goto DM, de Santana Carvalho T, de Paula Santos U, Koczulla AR, Saldiva PH, Nakagawa NK.The effects of smoking and smoking cessation on nasal mucociliary clearance, mucus properties and inflammation.Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2016 Jul;71(6):344-50. doi:10.6061/clinics/2016(06)10American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.Nosebleeds.Elwany S, Ibrahim AA, Soliman AI, Bazak R, Ibrahim HA.The significance of atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients with epistaxis.J Laryngol Otol.2018 Apr;132(4):323-326. doi:10.1017/S0022215118000221National Organization for Rare Disorders.Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia.Ameya G, Biresaw G, Mohammed H, Chebud A, Meskele M, Hussein M, Endris M.Epistaxis and its associated factors among precollege students in southern Ethiopia.J Blood Med. 2021 Jan 6;12:1-8. doi:10.2147/JBM.S285403Andreeff R.Epistaxis.J Am Acad Physicians Assist. 2016;29(1):46-47. doi:10.1097/01.JAA.0000473373.47749.5fKikidis D, Tsioufis K, Papanikolaou V, Zerva K, Hantzakos A.Is epistaxis associated with arterial hypertension? A systematic review of the literature.Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2014;271(2):237-243. doi:10.1007/s00405-013-2450-z
American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.Nosebleeds.
Villafuerte FC, Corante N.Chronic mountain sickness: clinical aspects, etiology, management, and treatment.High Altitude Medicine & Biology. 2016;17(2):61-69. doi:10.1089/ham.2016.0031
Tunkel DE, Anne S, Payne SC, et al.Clinical practice guideline: nosebleed(Epistaxis).Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2020;162(S1). doi:10.1177/0194599819890327
Utiyama DM, Yoshida CT, Goto DM, de Santana Carvalho T, de Paula Santos U, Koczulla AR, Saldiva PH, Nakagawa NK.The effects of smoking and smoking cessation on nasal mucociliary clearance, mucus properties and inflammation.Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2016 Jul;71(6):344-50. doi:10.6061/clinics/2016(06)10
Elwany S, Ibrahim AA, Soliman AI, Bazak R, Ibrahim HA.The significance of atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients with epistaxis.J Laryngol Otol.2018 Apr;132(4):323-326. doi:10.1017/S0022215118000221
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia.
Ameya G, Biresaw G, Mohammed H, Chebud A, Meskele M, Hussein M, Endris M.Epistaxis and its associated factors among precollege students in southern Ethiopia.J Blood Med. 2021 Jan 6;12:1-8. doi:10.2147/JBM.S285403
Andreeff R.Epistaxis.J Am Acad Physicians Assist. 2016;29(1):46-47. doi:10.1097/01.JAA.0000473373.47749.5f
Kikidis D, Tsioufis K, Papanikolaou V, Zerva K, Hantzakos A.Is epistaxis associated with arterial hypertension? A systematic review of the literature.Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2014;271(2):237-243. doi:10.1007/s00405-013-2450-z
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