All you need to know about: nosebleeds
This article explains the medical causes and common triggers of nosebleeds, or epistaxis, noting that most cases are minor and manageable at home. It distinguishes between anterior and posterior nosebleeds, advising medical attention for the latter.
Why it matters
Provides accessible health education on a common, often misunderstood, medical condition.
It always creates apprehension because the sight is somewhat gory, but a nosebleed, in general, isn’t a cause for major concern. Occurring mostly in the under 10s and the over 45s, nosebleeds are very common: about 60% of the population is estimated to experience one in their lifetime. They can occur in one or both nostrils, but usually affect one. The medical term for a nosebleed is epistaxis.
Our noses are lined with a moist, delicate tissue, the nasal mucosa. This lining cleans the air that we breathe in, and also warms and moistens the air. The mucosa is made of many tiny blood vessels, lying to close to the surface. These blood vessels can easily be irritated, injured and broken. When they break, they cause a nosebleed.
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