Over 60% patients will have a nose bleed sometime in their lifetime. The nose has an extensive blood supply and a nose bleed occurs when one of the blood vessels supplying the nose bursts. The blood vessels may burst because of infection, trauma (including nose picking) and in particularly dry or windy conditions when the lining of the nose becomes very fragile. Uncommonly it may be due to a tumour or growth in the nose. Nose bleeds are more common in patients who are on blood thinning medications (such as aspirin or warfarin) and in those who have uncontrolled high blood pressure.
Nose bleeds will often stop with the application of pressure over the nasal ala (the fleshy “wings” of the nose). However, when nose bleeds are recurrent, severe, or prolonged a patient may need a review by an ENT surgeon for both diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Hodge is able to offer in-rooms cauterisation at both the Kippa-Ring and City rooms, along with full diagnostic service for nose bleeds in children and adults.