[4] Low relative humidity (such as in centrally heated buildings), respiratory tract infections, chronic sinusitis, rhinitis or environmental irritants can cause inflammation and thinning of the tissue in the nose, leading to a greater likelihood of bleeding from the nose.

Some rarer causes are listed below:[2][4][12] Coagulopathy Dietary Inflammatory Medications/Drugs Neoplastic Traumatic Vascular The nasal mucosa contains a rich blood supply that can be easily ruptured and cause bleeding.

Spontaneous epistaxis is more common in the elderly as the nasal mucosa (lining) becomes dry and thin and blood pressure tends to be higher.

The elderly are also more prone to prolonged nosebleeds as their blood vessels are less able to constrict and control the bleeding.

[4] Individuals who suffer from nosebleeds regularly, especially children, are encouraged to use over-the-counter nasal saline sprays and avoid vigorous nose-blowing as preventative measures.

[18] Most anterior nosebleeds can be stopped by applying direct pressure, which helps by promoting blood clots.

Vasoconstrictive medications such as oxymetazoline (Afrin) or phenylephrine are widely available over the counter for treatment of allergic rhinitis and may also be used to control benign cases of epistaxis.

[19] For example, a few sprays of oxymetazoline may be applied into the bleeding side(s) of the nose followed by application of direct pressure.

[4] This method involves applying a chemical such as silver nitrate to the nasal mucosa, which burns and seals off the bleeding.

Dissolvable nasal packing materials stop bleeding through use of thrombotic agents that promote blood clots, such as surgicel and gelfoam.

[21] The Merocel nasal tampon is similar to gauze packing except it is a synthetic foam polymer (made of polyvinyl alcohol and expands in the nose after application of water) that provides a less hospitable medium for bacteria.

[4][3] Complications of non-dissolvable nasal packing include abscesses, septal hematomas, sinusitis, and pressure necrosis.

[2] Ongoing bleeding despite good nasal packing is a surgical emergency and can be treated by endoscopic evaluation of the nasal cavity under general anesthesia to identify an elusive bleeding point or to directly ligate (tie off) the blood vessels supplying the nose.

[29] In the visual language of Japanese manga and anime, nosebleeding often indicates that the bleeding person is sexually aroused.

[30][31][32] In Western fiction, nosebleeds often signify intense mental focus or effort, particularly during the use of psychic powers.

The reference alludes to the propensity for nasal hemorrhage at high altitudes, usually owing to lower barometric pressure.

The oral history of the Native American Sioux tribe includes reference to women who experience nosebleeds as a result of a lover's playing of music, implying sexual arousal.

[35] In the Finnish language, "picking blood from one's nose" and "begging for a nosebleed" are commonly used in abstract meaning to describe self-destructive behaviour, for example ignoring safety procedures or deliberately aggravating stronger parties.

[38] The word epistaxis is from Ancient Greek: ἐπιστάζω epistazo, "to bleed from the nose" from ἐπί epi, "above, over" and στάζω stazo, "to drip [from the nostrils]".