If You Have Nosebleeds Often, It Could Be A Sign Of This

An occasional nosebleed is nothing new to most of us. According to the Cleveland Clinic, 60% of people will have a nosebleed, also known as epistaxis, at least once in their lifetime. Still, the sight of a bloody nose is something that can cause anyone to panic. If your nose starts bleeding without injury or warning, you might be alarmed. But if you often experience nosebleeds, you may have just come to accept them. How concerned should you be about frequent nosebleeds, and could this condition be a sign of something serious? 

If you have grown too accustomed to managing recurring nosebleeds, it might be time to see a doctor. According to the University of Michigan Health, if you have a nosebleed four or more times in a week, you should be examined by a doctor to determine the level of seriousness and the cause. If you have nosebleeds that happen at least twice a month, it could indicate that there's an underlying chronic condition.

The seriousness of your recurring nosebleeds is determined by what type of nosebleed you have. Anterior epistaxis nosebleeds happen at the front of the nose. This type of nosebleed is usually not serious and doesn't require medical intervention. If your nosebleeds are coming from the front of the nose, it could be caused by picking or blowing your nose too much, dry air, allergies, the use of nasal sprays, or an abnormality that was present at birth (via University of Michigan Health).

Nosebleeds that originate from the back of the nose are cause for greater concern. According to Healthline, if your nosebleeds fall in the posterior epistaxis category, your nose is bleeding from larger blood vessels in the back of the nose. This type of nosebleed is more serious and can last for 20 minutes or longer. Posterior nosebleeds can be caused by some of the same environmental factors that cause anterior nosebleeds, such as low humidity, too much nose picking, or hard blowing. But posterior nosebleeds could indicate something serious like a blood disorder, a tumor, or high blood pressure.

Frequent nosebleeds could be the result of a combination of chronic health conditions. An 2018 study looked at the correlation of hypertension, retinopathy, and high cholesterol in hypertensive patients who had nosebleeds, and determined that patients who had more severe retinopathy had more frequent nosebleeds (per Journal of Laryngology and Otology). If you have frequent nosebleeds, you should have a doctor determine the cause and level of seriousness.