What is Epistaxis?
Epistaxis as acute hemorrhage from the nostril, nasal cavity, or nasopharynx. Epistaxis is bleeding from the nostril.
Causes
- Allergic rhinitis
- An object stuck in the nose
- Barotrauma
- Blowing the nose very hard
- Chemical irritants
- Direct injury to nose, including a broken nose
- Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia
- Nose picking
- Overuse of decongestant nasal sprays
- Repeated sneezing
- Surgery on the face or nose
- Taking large doses of aspirin or blood-thinning medicine
- Upper respiratory infection
- Very cold or very dry air
Repeated nosebleeds may be a symptom of another disease such as high blood pressure, allergies,a bleeding disorder or a tumor of the nose or sinuses.
Symptoms:
Nosebleeds usually involve one nostril, but occasionally both nostrils are involved. If one nostril becomes partially blocked with a blood clot, the blood might flow out the other nostril or down the back of the throat. In a posterior nosebleed (higher up in the nose), large amounts of blood typically flow down the back of the throat. The amount of bleeding from a nosebleed can vary with posterior bleeds usually bleeding significantly more.
