Excessive Nose Bleeds

Dear Ask The Doctor: I get nosebleeds all the time, in fact today I have had roughly three large ones. When they are bad I often get them five times a day. I have them in my sleep and there seems to be no particular rhyme or reason to them. I have had a blood test to test me for anaemia and the results are yet to come. I am concerned about the amount of blood I am loosing and whether I could develop a blood deficiency due to lack of iron in me. I am waiting for referral to the ENT but that could take months. I am aware I am not the worst case of nose bleeds but I am wondering if a cauterisation is the way to go. I have heard they are not always effective but I really have no where else to go. What should I decide?

Dear Ellen: Common reasons for the bleeding from the nose are dryness, picking of the nose or high blood pressure. Dry nose occurs commonly in winter due to home heaters, as well picking the dried blood in the nose may cause further bleeding. Using saline drops/sprays or other types of nasal lubricants which are available over the counter can help prevent dryness and bleeding. Excessive bleeding  is concerning and may be due to some other underlying cause like a polyp, infection or trauma. You should probably visit the emergency department of the hospital if the excessive bleeding continues. You may try the following technique to control your bleeding: sit down and lean forward with your head tilted slightly forward and pinch the soft parts of your nose together between your thumb and index finger. Hold the nose for at least five minutes and then release. You can repeat this several times for improvement. You can also apply ice to the nose and the cheeks which may help constrict the blood vessels and help control your bleeding.