When To Worry About A Nosebleed

Contents

While it may not be possible to prevent all causes of a nosebleed, taking the following precautions can help:

When Should You Worry About a Nosebleed?

Nosebleeds typically resolve on their own. But if they are severe or long lasting, they may be a sign of another health condition, such as internal bleeding, and require immediate medical care.

Share on Pinterest iladendron / Getty Images

A nosebleed can be scary, especially when it happens to your child. But while nosebleeds can appear out of nowhere, most aren’t a serious cause for concern and usually resolve with home care.

The surface lining of your nose contains several blood vessels, and it only takes the slightest injury or irritation to trigger bleeding.

Nosebleeds are common in children and adults, but some nosebleeds are more severe, in which case you’ll need to contact a doctor.

Here’s a look at common causes of nosebleeds, different ways to manage nosebleeds at home, as well as advice on when to talk with a doctor.

Most adults and children will have at least one nosebleed in their lives. In most cases, the bleeding will stop after a few minutes of self-care. Other times, though, nosebleeds have symptoms that may warrant a call or trip to a doctor.

When to contact a doctor for children

Understandably, a nosebleed in your child can invoke panic. Keep in mind, though, that nosebleeds are common in children. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should ignore every nosebleed.

Some nosebleeds are minor and you’ll notice blood dripping or running from your child’s nose. They might bleed from one nostril or both nostrils. Immediate home care helps stop the bleeding.

You should, however, talk with a doctor under the following circumstances:

The nosebleed doesn’t stop after 20 minutes of direct pressure, especially if your child has an injury to their head or face. Serious injuries can affect the nose or skull.
There’s an object stuck in your child’s nose.
Your child has other symptoms such as dizziness, headache, tiredness, vomiting, or trouble breathing. This can indicate too much blood loss, or blood dripping down their throat.

When to contact a doctor for adults

Even if you’re used to having nosebleeds as an adult, you shouldn’t ignore certain symptoms.

Similar to a child, call your doctor if a nosebleed doesn’t stop after 20 minutes of direct pressure, or if you lose a lot of blood (more than a cup).
You should also talk with your doctor if you experience trouble breathing, gagging, or vomiting due to blood dripping down your throat.
A serious injury to your head or that face causes a nosebleed also needs medical attention.
If you’re bleeding from other parts of your body — ears or rectum, for example, this could indicate internal bleeding, blood clotting problems, or blood vessel disorders.

Both adults and children should also be examined by a doctor for repeated, frequent nosebleeds, even minor ones. This can indicate an ongoing problem within the nose, perhaps nasal growths or nasal polyps.

Warning

If you’ve lost a lot of blood, don’t drive yourself to the emergency room. Instead, have a friend or relative drive you or call 911.

When are nosebleeds a cause for concern?

Nosebleeds are relatively common and occur when there is damage to a blood vessel in the nose. They are not typically a cause for concern, unless the bleeding is persistent or severe.

As the nose is full of blood vessels, any minor injury to the area can cause a nosebleed. These are often mild and easy to treat.

Seek immediate medical attention if the bleeding:

is severe
lasts longer than 15–30 minutes
follows a blow to the head
results in swallowing a lot of blood
causes weakness or trouble breathing

While roughly 60% of people experience a nosebleed at some point, only 10% of cases are severe enough to require medical attention.

In this article, we explore when a nosebleed may become worrying, as well as causes, treatments, and strategies for prevention.

Share on Pinterest Cavan Images/Getty Images

A nosebleed, also known as epistaxis, refers to bleeding from the nose typically following damage to the blood vessels in the nasal passage.

Depending on the area where tissue damage occurs, a doctor can categorize nosebleeds as either anterior (front), which are more common, and posterior (back), which are more likely to require medical treatment

Nosebleeds are more common in children and older adults, but are not usually a sign of a problem. They are also common in people with a history of bleeding disorders, genetic bleeding conditions, those who take blood-thinning medications, and those who take medications through the nose.

Many people will experience a nosebleed and in most cases, the bleeding will stop after a few minutes of self-care. Whether the bleeding is minor or severe, it is usually advisable to apply appropriate first aid to reduce or stop the bleeding. This typically involves getting the person with a nosebleed to tilt their head forward, breathe through their mouth, and pinch the soft part of their nose.

Many guidelines advise people to receive professional care for a nosebleed that:

is heavy
is long lasting
comes back
makes the person feel weak or dizzy
interrupts day to day activities

People should also seek medical care if:

The bleeding lasts longer than 15–30 minutes.
They have a history of hospitalization for nosebleeds.
They have had a blood transfusion for nosebleeds.
They have had more than three recent episodes of nasal bleeding associated with headaches.

Additionally, consider contacting a doctor if a nosebleed occurs in:

a baby younger than 2 years
anyone taking blood-thinning drugs
anyone with symptoms of anemia
anyone with a condition that prevents the blood from clotting properly

Nosebleeds usually stem from a rupture of a blood vessel in the nose, and there may be no obvious cause. They happen most often due to trauma, certain medications, or as a result of an underlying health condition.

Some common causes of nosebleeds include:

picking the nose
blowing the nose too hard
dryness, which may result from climate or altitude changes
swelling and irritation
a foreign body in the nose
nasal allergies

How we reviewed this article:

Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Nosebleed. (2021).
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nosebleed/
Nosebleed (epistaxis) in children. (n.d.).
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=nosebleeds-90-P02055
Nosebleed FAQs. (n.d.).
https://www.entnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/epistaxis_nosebleed_faqstable_patient.pdf
Nosebleeds. (n.d.).
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/nosebleeds
Nosebleeds. (n.d.).
https://www.sja.org.uk/get-advice/first-aid-advice/bleeding/nosebleeds/
Tabassom, A., et al. (2020). Epistaxis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK435997/
Treatment. (2020).
http://eguideline.guidelinecentral.com/i/1197258-epistaxis-nosebleed/7?
Tunkel, D. E., et al. (2020). Clinical practice guideline: Nosebleed (epistaxis).
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0194599819890327

About Us

Family Medicine

In 2024 our team of doctors and nurses provide a comprehensive range of family planning services. Our doctors have expertise in antenatal care, preconception planning, and STD checks. Contraceptive advice including Mirena and Implanon insertion is available.

Early detection of illness;

Family planning;

Promotion of healthy lifestyle;

Skin cancer checks;

Sports injuries;

Weight reduction;

Workers compensation and third party.

Children's Health

Baby Weighing Service. Babies can be booked with our Nurse for weighing, a doctors appointment is not required to use this service. Contact reception for a appointment to have your baby weighed.

Immunisations. At Tuggeranong Square children's immunisation is regarded an important part of your childs health care. Our doctors take immunising children very seriously. and to ensure all children are immunised Tuggeranong Square Medical Practice doctors BULK BILL for all childhood immunisations. Tuggeranong Square Medical Practice also ensures the Practice Nursing Staff are highly trained in childhood immunisations.

Women's Health

Our practice is dedicated to treating a wide spectrum of women’s health concerns. We offer pre-natal, antenatal and postnatal care, contraceptive options, pap screening, and preventative health care advice. We provide assistance, advice and support through all stages of life, recognising the many issues many women may face from adolescence through to the peri and post-menopausal period.

Cervical Screening tests;

Reproductive health. Including Mirena and Implanon insertion;

Shared antenatal care.

Men's Health

We encourage men to present routinely to their GP to discuss all aspects of their health. We provide comprehensive advice and support for men to address the prevention and management of various health conditions. This may include assessments for cardiovascular risk, diabetes, cancer prevention, mental health assessments, STD screening, sports injuries and the importance of sleep as it relates to other areas of health.

Preventative Healthcare. Including cardiovascular screening, mental health and cancer checks;

Prostate examination.

When To Worry About A Nosebleed