Nose Bleeding (Epistaxis)

Blood vessels in the nose are close to the surface and are therefore very fragile and can be broken easily just from blowing your nose too hard or an injury. Bleeding from the nose often looks far worse than it is. There are two different types of bleeding from the nose - anterior which is most common and posterior - which is more likely to need medical attention.

Nose bleeds can be stopped by leaning forward and pinching the soft part of the nose just above the nostrils for up to 10 minutes.

Treatment

The vast majority of recurrent nose bleeds can be treated by nasal cautery under local anaesthetic in the clinic using a silver nitrate stick. After the vessels have been cauterised, Vaseline should be applied twice a day for the next 2 weeks to prevent a crust forming. Very occasionally, cauterisation under general anaesthetic is required, particularly in small children.

If there is no obvious bleeding point at the front of the nose, an examination of the back of the nose with a telescope may be required to rule out more serious causes for the nose bleed.