Besides impact, what exactly causes nosebleeds?  I find that prolonged
dry weather (>2 days, <40% humidity) will often bring on nosebleeds
(for me), and I've always wondered why.  Doctors have tried cauterized
it, but they can't seem to get deep enough into my nasal passage to
really solve it... they say it will take surgery.  So, what do you think
is actually *happening* to cause it for me, and besides surgery, what
are the steps I can take to manage this condition?

My research indicates that, indeed, dry air can be a cause of
nosebleeds. My best guess, based on what you say, is that probably the
main thing you could do about that is get a humidifier and keep it
running in the room you're in.

Of course, if the problem persists, you should see your doctor again.

Here are some sites with more information about nosebleeds:

Winter Nosebleeds a Warning of Dryness
"Most winter nosebleeds -- the medical term for nosebleed is epistaxis
-- occur from the tiny capillaries in the mucous membrane of the
septum, the tough cartilage that divides the nose into two nostrils.
When the air is robbed of its moisture by heaters or by climatic
forces, this membrane dries out and is easily cracked, which causes
breaks in the little capillaries through which small amounts of blood
begin to seep."
http://www.hon.ch/News/HSN/509818.html

Nosebleeds
Dry air dries out the nasal linings.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T082700.asp

Nosebleeds
Causes and possible solutions. This is written mainly for parents of children.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/nose_bleed.html

What To Do When Your Nose Bleeds
Tips for prevention, and advice on when to see a doctor.
http://familydoctor.org/132.xml

Nosebleed
Causes and care, plus some information that'll help you be an informed
medical patient if you return to your doctor.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003106.htm

Nosebleeds (Epistaxis)
Now you know the technical name for a nosebleed.
http://www.hughston.com/hha/a.nosebleed.htm

Could Viagra cause nosebleeds?
An unproven side effect.
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/medicine_health/report-11660.html

Knowing about Nosebleeds
An article for teens.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/first_aid/nosebleeds_p2.html

Nosebleed - Symptom
More about how dry air causes nosebleeds.
http://www.enh.org/encyclopedia/ency/article/003106.asp

I hope you find this helpful.

Mvguy-ga






Google search term: nosebleeds cause
://www.google.com/search?q=nosebleeds+cause

---

Request for Answer Clarification by copen-ga on 09 Dec 2003 18:45 PST

Great answer!

I wonder if you might be able to find more about the high pressure
"anterior" nosebleeds, the ones where blood can easily fall back into
your throat.  These links seem to mainly focus on the low pressure
bleeds from the front of the nose.

From the first link:

"...which causes breaks in the little capillaries through which small
amounts of blood begin to seep.  Bleeding is usually limited because
these capillaries are so small that they don't carry a lot of blood"

Unfortunately, I didn't mention that my nosebleeds are higher
pressure.  If I didn't block them, they would drip like a leaky
faucet.  They can saturate a piece of kleenex in seconds sometimes.

Would it be possible for you to find out if there are any particular
causes fo the high pressure version?  If not, that's cool, but I
though I'd ask.  Thanks.

---

Clarification of Answer by mvguy-ga on 09 Dec 2003 20:45 PST

I quickly discovered that what you termed "anterior" nosebleeds are in
fact "posterior" nosebleeds. The bad news is that it appears that type
of nosebleed is far more likely to require professional treatment.

Here are some articles I found that discuss this type of nosebleed:

Current approaches to the management of epistaxis
Lots of medical terminology and some pictures here.
http://www.jaapa.com/be_core/content/journals/j/data/2003/0501/nosebleed0503.html

Posterior nosebleeds
They can be the sign of a serious problem.
http://www.doctorhoffman.com/postepi.htm

Treatments for Nosebleeds
Various options are discussed.
http://www.entcolumbia.org/nbtreat.htm

Management of Posterior Epistaxis
Management can be complex.
http://www.entlink.net/education/COOL/epistaxisintro2.cfm

Epistaxis
More about the different types of nosebleeds.
http://www.medical-library.org/journals2a/epistaxis.htm

I hope this answers your question and gets you on the path to proper
prevention and/or treatment.

Sincerely,

Mvguy-ga	






Google search term used: posterior nosebleeds

://www.google.com/search?hl=es&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&q=posterior+nosebleeds

Fantastic answer.  At first, my question wasn't clear enough, but
after providing more info, the Researcher agreed to elaborate on the
original answer.