What is a nosebleed?
A person with a nosebleed, or epistaxis, is bleeding from the nose. The most common cause of a nosebleed is irritation to the lining of the nose. Once the lining is irritated, cracked, or torn, the underlying blood vessels rupture and start to bleed. Nosebleeds are very common, and most cases resolve without treatment.

What are the symptoms of a nosebleed?
Most nosebleeds are painless. Symptoms that occur with a nosebleed may include nausea, dizziness, anxiety, sore throat, and vomiting blood. Additional symptoms of a nosebleed caused by an injury include facial bruise, nosebleed, facial pain, facial swelling, facial tenderness, deformed nose, and inability to breathe normally through the nose.

How does the doctor treat a nosebleed?
Most nosebleeds can be treated at home by pinching the nose firmly for 15 minutes while sitting upright. Drinking cold water can clear blood from the throat. A persistent nosebleed may require treatment with a nasal anesthetic, nasal decongestant, nasal packing, and nasal cautery. Treatment for a nosebleed caused by an injury may include wound care, wound cleansing, facial wound repair, cold compresses, narcotic pain medication, tetanus vaccine, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications for pain. Some injuries may require surgery to realign a nasal bone fracture.