Nose Bleeds

Nosebleeds are a common problem in children and the elderly in particular. Treatments vary depending on severity and specific cause and include the use of antibacterial creams, silver nitrate cautery as well as clipping arteries within the nose using endoscopic techniques under general anaesthetic.

The diagram shows the major arteries supplying the inside of the nose. Most nose bleeds (epistaxis) arise from damaged blood vessels on the cartilage partition (septum) with bleeding from Kiesselbach’s plexus. Less commonly arteries at the back of the nose cause nose bleeds in older people.