nosebleed
Also known as epistaxis, nose bleed, nasal bleeding, nasal hemorrhage
AI overview
A nosebleed is bleeding that occurs from inside the nose, which can happen for various reasons including dry air, nasal injury, or underlying health conditions. While most nosebleeds stop on their own and aren't serious, frequent or heavy nosebleeds may warrant medical attention to identify and address the underlying cause.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Medical condition.image
- Young_child_with_nosebleed,_smiling_cropped.jpg
- Medical condition.synonyms
- Epistaxis, bloody nose, nasal hemorrhage
- Medical condition.caption
- A three-year-old child with a minor nosebleed from falling and hitting his face on the floor
- Medical condition.pronounce
- Epistaxis
- Medical condition.field
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Medical condition.symptoms
- Bleeding from the nose
- Medical condition.onset
- Less than 10 and over 50 years old
- Medical condition.risks
- Trauma, excessive nose picking, forceful nose blowing, certain infections, blood thinners, high blood pressure, alcoholism, seasonal allergies, dry / cold weather, environmental irritants
- Medical condition.diagnosis
- Direct observation
- Medical condition.differential
- Bleeding from the lungs, esophageal varices, vomiting blood
- Medical condition.prevention
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Cause
- Pathophysiology
- Prevention
- Treatment
- Chemical cauterization
- Nasal packing
- Surgery
- Tranexamic acid
- Other
- Society and culture
- Etymology
- References
- External links
A nosebleed, also known medically as epistaxis, is bleeding from the nasal cavity caused by rupture of small blood vessels in the nasal mucosa. Most cases are minor and stop spontaneously with simple first-aid or medical care. In some cases, blood may flow down into the stomach, and cause nausea and vomiting. In more severe cases, blood may come out of both nostrils. Rarely, bleeding may be so significant that low blood pressure occurs. Blood may also be forced to flow up and through the nasolacrimal duct and out of the eye, producing bloody tears.
Risk factors include trauma; especially from nosepicking, blood thinners, high blood pressure, alcoholism, seasonal allergies, dry weather, and inhaled corticosteroids. There are two types: anterior, which is more common; and posterior, which is less common but more serious. Anterior nosebleeds generally occur from Kiesselbach's plexus while posterior bleeds generally occur from the sphenopalatine artery or Woodruff's plexus. The diagnosis is by direct observation.