A nosebleed is a pretty scary experience and is enough to spike anyone’s paranoia and have them reaching for WebMD. But it’s also surprisingly common, and contrary to what your paranoia (and Google) is telling you, it’s often completely benign.
You’re more likely to have a nosebleed if you’re between 2 and 10 years old or over 50 years old, but they can strike at any age and for a multitude of reasons.
How Common are Nosebleeds?
Research suggests that as many as 60% of people will have at least one nosebleed at some point in their life. They’re common, and more often than not, they are harmless.
In fact, as little as 6-10% of nosebleeds are classified as serious, and many of these are connected to treatable and manageable conditions.
Why Does Age Make a Difference?
We mentioned that nosebleeds are more common in children and over 50s, and it’s because these age groups are at greater risk for the many causes of nosebleeds.
For instance, children are more likely to pick their nose, fall over and injure themselves, and stuff objects up there. All of these factors are major causes of nosebleeds, and they diminish with age.
As for the over-50s, they are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, take blood thinners, and have cardiovascular problems.
The skin also gets thinner with age, making it more susceptible, and the nails get thicker and become harder to trim, causing problems when the nose is picked.
Of course, these risk factors are present in all age groups. You can be 35 and still aggressively pick your nose (although we hope you’re not sticking crayons up there) and you can be 15 and suffer from blood and heart disorders.
But we’re talking about probabilities, and probability dictates that these things are much more common with those specific age groups.
What If I’ve Never Had a Nosebleed Until Now?
As the above stats show, it’s actually more common to have a nosebleed than it is to go your entire life without one. But only just, and just because you’ve never had a nosebleed doesn’t mean you’re superhuman, nor does it mean there is something wrong with you.
It may mean that you’re just not susceptible to them and haven’t had much exposure to the risk factors. If you’re younger than 50, it could also be that you were just a safety conscious (or lucky) kid, and things may change when you enter that high-risk age group.
If you have gone your entire life without having a nosebleed and you suddenly have one, it can be terrifying. If so, you may have stumbled upon this article after a frantic Google search performed under extreme panic while you try to keep your keyboard/phone blood-free.
The good news is that there is probably nothing to worry about. Just because you’ve gone your entire life without a nosebleed doesn’t mean that your first one will be indicative of a serious issue.
There are a multitude of causes, including sinus infections, medications, drug use, and trauma. Maybe you picked too hard or too much, maybe you overused a nasal spray or took a reaction to aspirin?
In any case, it’s usually nothing to worry about and you can rest easy if it is an isolated issue. If there are other symptoms and/or you get repeated nosebleeds, however, you should consult with your doctor.
Are they Harmless?
It has been said that nosebleeds are benign and account for an infinitesimal number of deaths every year. This is true, but a nosebleed could also be indicative of a more serious problem. If the problem persists, you should consult with a medical professional.
More often than not, however, nosebleeds are caused by nose picking, trauma, environmental changes, and high blood pressure. They are often self-limiting, which means they go away on their own and rarely require medical intervention.
If you suffer from regular nosebleeds that don’t have a serious underlying issue, what is initially scary and menacing can become frustrating and messy. In such cases, you can use Nampons to get some relief.
Nampon is a clinically tested, FDA-registered treatment designed to assist with mild to moderate nosebleeds. Keep a box on standby and make sure you’re prepared the next time you suffer from a nosebleed.
