Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCommon CausesSerious CausesDuring PregnancyIn ChildrenWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderDiagnosisCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Common Causes
Serious Causes
During Pregnancy
In Children
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Diagnosis
Coping
Nosebleeds, also calledepistaxis, and headaches are common medical issues that can happen at the same time or separately.
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Common Causes of Both Headache and Nosebleed
Aheadachecan have several causes, including dehydration, medication, and high blood pressure.
The two kinds of headaches include:
The common causes ofheadachesand nosebleeds tend to fall into three groups: medical conditions, environmental factors, or medication/drug use.
Getting anosebleedand headache at the same time may not mean anything, in fact, it often happens coincidentally. However, specific causes can produce both a headache and nosebleed at the same time.
Medical conditions that can cause headaches and nosebleeds include:
Environmental factors that can cause headaches and nosebleeds. When these conditions occur while you’re sleeping, they may cause you to wake up with a bloody nose and headache.
Medications/drugs that can cause headaches and nosebleeds:
What can cause a nosebleed with a headache and fatigue?A likely cause of a headache that occurs along with a nosebleed and fatigue is a sinus infection.However, these three symptoms can also occur together with other less common conditions, such aspolycythemia vera, a rare blood disorder.
What can cause a nosebleed with a headache and fatigue?
A likely cause of a headache that occurs along with a nosebleed and fatigue is a sinus infection.However, these three symptoms can also occur together with other less common conditions, such aspolycythemia vera, a rare blood disorder.
Serious Causes of Both Headache and Nosebleed
There are some serious causes of headaches and nosebleeds. These causes may be less common and include:
Do brain tumors cause nose bleeds?
Headache and Nosebleed During Pregnancy
Headaches and nosebleeds are common during pregnancy. Headaches are more common in the first three months of pregnancy due to hormone changes.If your headache doesn’t resolve or is severe, contact a healthcare provider, as it can be a symptom ofpreeclampsia(high blood pressure in pregnancy).
Nosebleeds during pregnancy are also a common annoyance. The nasal passages have more blood running through the vessels, causingcongestion. This congestion can create nosebleeds and stuffiness.
Can high blood pressure cause nosebleeds and headaches?High blood pressure can cause both headaches and nosebleeds. The increased pressure places added stress on blood vessels creating the pain of a headache and making it easier for a nosebleed to occur.
Can high blood pressure cause nosebleeds and headaches?
High blood pressure can cause both headaches and nosebleeds. The increased pressure places added stress on blood vessels creating the pain of a headache and making it easier for a nosebleed to occur.
Headache and Nosebleed in Children
Headaches and nosebleeds in childrenare common and generally pose no serious threat. However, it’s important to find the underlying cause to help determine how to stop and prevent them from happening again.
Allergies, colds, dry air, and nose picking are all common reasons a child could have a nosebleed.
When to Worry About a Headache and Nosebleed
Sometimes, anosebleedand headache cannot be managed at home.
If a nosebleed continues for more than 20 minutes after home treatments like pinching, it’s time to contact a healthcare provider. Other signs to contact a healthcare provider during a nosebleed include:
A headache can usually be managed with over-the-counter (OTC) medications. But contact your healthcare provider if any of the following accompanies the headache:
Signs of a Brain TumorSigns of a brain tumorwill vary greatly and be based on the tumor’s location in the brain. Anyone with signs of a brain tumor, such as the following, should contact their healthcare provider immediately:HeadacheSeizuresHard time finding words or thinkingBehavior changesNumbness or loss of feeling on one side of the bodyDizzinessConfusionVision or hearing changes
Signs of a Brain Tumor
Signs of a brain tumorwill vary greatly and be based on the tumor’s location in the brain. Anyone with signs of a brain tumor, such as the following, should contact their healthcare provider immediately:HeadacheSeizuresHard time finding words or thinkingBehavior changesNumbness or loss of feeling on one side of the bodyDizzinessConfusionVision or hearing changes
Signs of a brain tumorwill vary greatly and be based on the tumor’s location in the brain. Anyone with signs of a brain tumor, such as the following, should contact their healthcare provider immediately:
How Are Headaches and Nosebleeds Diagnosed?
Headaches and nosebleeds are often diagnosed based on a physical evaluation and medical history. However, if the cause is not clear, then further testing may be necessary.
If the cause of a headache can’t be identified, then a healthcare provider may order the following tests:
Diagnosing a nosebleed is primarily done through visualization.A healthcare provider may use a special instrument called a nasal speculum to look inside the nose.
Can a brain aneurysm cause nose bleeds?A nosebleed can be a symptom of an aneurysm, but other causes are much more common.
Can a brain aneurysm cause nose bleeds?
A nosebleed can be a symptom of an aneurysm, but other causes are much more common.
Coping With Headaches and Nosebleeds
Nosebleeds and headaches can typically be managed at home. Here are the steps to manage anosebleed:
Treating a headache is not as cut-and-dried. With different triggers, causes, and types of headaches, the treatment will vary from person to person. Some treatments may include:
For some people, headache treatment can involve hospitalizations and additional treatment from their healthcare provider.
Preventing Headaches and Nosebleeds
Preventing every headache and nosebleed is impossible, but the first step is to avoid any known triggers.
Managing and reducing stress can prevent some headaches. To preventcluster headaches(painful headaches that occur in cycles) andmigraines(painful, often debilitating recurring headaches), daily prescription medication might be needed.
Summary
Headaches and nosebleeds are two conditions that most people will experience at some point in their life. Oftentimes, they happen separately but on occasion, they can happen at the same time. Usually, the co-occurrence is a coincidence, but it can signal a more serious underlying condition.
If home treatment isn’t successful, then working with a healthcare provider for an individualized treatment plan can identify triggers and prevent nosebleeds and headaches.
14 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. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Headache.MedlinePlus.Migraine.Rohatgi S, Gundewar S, Nirhale S, et al.The intersection of migraine and epistaxis: Clinical observations and analysis.Cureus. 2024;16(7):e65584. doi:10.7759/cureus.65584Giriyappa C.Clinical profile of patients with sinus disease underwent CT scan.Headache. 2023;21(42.0):29.University of Rochester Medical Center.Polycythemia vera.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Olfactory neuroblastoma.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Common discomforts during pregnancy.Cedars Sinai.Nosebleed (epistaxis) in children.Cedars Sinai.Headaches in children.Yale Medicine.Nosebleeds (epistaxis).Johns Hopkins.Brain tumors and brain cancer.Hassan AM, Donley CW, Venkatachalam P.Post-traumatic intracranial pseudoaneurysm presenting as epistaxis.Open Access Emerg Med. 2024;16:75-85. doi:10.2147/OAEM.S449026University of Michigan Health System.Do’s and don’ts for managing nosebleeds.
14 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. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Headache.MedlinePlus.Migraine.Rohatgi S, Gundewar S, Nirhale S, et al.The intersection of migraine and epistaxis: Clinical observations and analysis.Cureus. 2024;16(7):e65584. doi:10.7759/cureus.65584Giriyappa C.Clinical profile of patients with sinus disease underwent CT scan.Headache. 2023;21(42.0):29.University of Rochester Medical Center.Polycythemia vera.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Olfactory neuroblastoma.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Common discomforts during pregnancy.Cedars Sinai.Nosebleed (epistaxis) in children.Cedars Sinai.Headaches in children.Yale Medicine.Nosebleeds (epistaxis).Johns Hopkins.Brain tumors and brain cancer.Hassan AM, Donley CW, Venkatachalam P.Post-traumatic intracranial pseudoaneurysm presenting as epistaxis.Open Access Emerg Med. 2024;16:75-85. doi:10.2147/OAEM.S449026University of Michigan Health System.Do’s and don’ts for managing 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. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Headache.MedlinePlus.Migraine.Rohatgi S, Gundewar S, Nirhale S, et al.The intersection of migraine and epistaxis: Clinical observations and analysis.Cureus. 2024;16(7):e65584. doi:10.7759/cureus.65584Giriyappa C.Clinical profile of patients with sinus disease underwent CT scan.Headache. 2023;21(42.0):29.University of Rochester Medical Center.Polycythemia vera.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Olfactory neuroblastoma.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Common discomforts during pregnancy.Cedars Sinai.Nosebleed (epistaxis) in children.Cedars Sinai.Headaches in children.Yale Medicine.Nosebleeds (epistaxis).Johns Hopkins.Brain tumors and brain cancer.Hassan AM, Donley CW, Venkatachalam P.Post-traumatic intracranial pseudoaneurysm presenting as epistaxis.Open Access Emerg Med. 2024;16:75-85. doi:10.2147/OAEM.S449026University of Michigan Health System.Do’s and don’ts for managing nosebleeds.
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Giriyappa C.Clinical profile of patients with sinus disease underwent CT scan.Headache. 2023;21(42.0):29.
University of Rochester Medical Center.Polycythemia vera.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Olfactory neuroblastoma.
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University of Michigan Health System.Do’s and don’ts for managing nosebleeds.
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