A nose bleed out of the blue, anyone experienced the same?

I cannot give you answer to your experience and I hope all is well with you.  I also had unexplained medical condition, went to hospital, had tests (all was clear) and seen by consultant.  No name of medical condition has been given to my experience.  However the my severe pains which I was experiencing ceased and I am grateful.

When I was young, I used to get completely spontaneous nose bleeds, and they were profuse. 

Went on and on, and just as fast as they started they stopped. My GP said that there was nothing to worry about, and by the age of about twenty they more or less stopped.

In very hot weather I can still have a sudden little bleed even in my fifties. 

I never made any effort to staunch the bleed as clotting eventually will take place. The blood has to go somewhere and down the nostril is the best place according to my then GP. 

I had just such a bleed in my History O-level exam, and my essays were covered in blots, not of ink but blood. I got a B for it all the same. 

Probably worth seeking the advice of your GP though. Every case is different, and I suppose my GP saw no obvious serious risk from my case, but it is worth seeking expert counsel on this, I would think.

ATB from George

I assume they checked your blood pressure - not that it is likely that blood pressure would be a cause.

Happened to me one time when I smelled a sample of some very strong perfume...pretty weird. My mother commonly had nosebleeds like this, its just a trait some people have I think.

Growing up in Texas, it was always said you need more iron in your blood--to eat liver and onions when you get nosebleeds.  Check your diet, stay away from strong perfumes and volatile substances.  Also be careful how you handle your nose...I've got them before by rubbing my nose vigorously when it itched.

Of course if it continues to happen, you'd probably want to see a specialist...more than likely a random event.  However, they can happen again until the inside of the nose heals where the break happened...which can make you think its re-occurring.

Also, no snuff or cocaine for a few weeks...

Like George I used to suffer spontaneous nosebleeds as a kid. It was a pain when blood would suddenly drip onto my school books as I was working ay my desk. They seemed to stop in my twenties.

Spontaneous nosebleeds are very common and the fact that the OP is on aspirin can be a contributory factor and make the bleed harder to control.

It happened to me after a day gloss painting several intricate window frames and then having a very hot bath - probably a combination of dodgy fumes and excessive heat. I went to A&E where they tried to cauterise it - basically stuck a soldering iron up my nose. This stemmed it for a while but then it restarted so I was admitted to the ENT ward. The cure was absolute bed rest, with no getting up at all, even for the loo, for 3 days which sorted it.

There were a few guys in the ward with the same thing and the nurses said they get about 3 cases a week in Bristol so it's not that uncommon. Best thing is that my worries about it being a recurring weakness were unfounded - that happened about 20 years ago and it has never recurred.... hope I haven't spoken too soon...

I've had about a dozen arteries cauterised in my nose, using the hot iron approach. At Salisbury District Hospital they have some real eggheads with a special laser that can cauterise without burning the top skin layer, this was the next stage if the basic cautery did not work (tired of being woken up in the night by the taste of hot blood in my throat!) After some months putting Naseptin (contains peanut oil I think) up my nose everything has now settled.

Good luck!

Things can get a bit crusty 

'cept everything smells like burned peanut butter now right?

Sorry to read of this, Ken.

I've no experience of it, but have just googled 'aspirin anticoagulant' and hoped there might be something there to help you.

Chris

Most nosebleed are from the front of the nose and can be stopped by leaning forward and pinching the nostrils, not the bridge of the nose, for 5 minutes.

Posterior nose bleeds are rarer and tend to occur in the 50+ age group. They can be very serious and frightening, as the OP describes, because they are arterial. They usually require packing in A+E, although on rare occasions they require emergency surgery to tie off the bleeder.  Hypertension and aspirin and other blood thinners can be risk factors and more rarely tumours in the nose or a bleeding tendency eg low blood platelets.

Fortunately most posterior bleeds are a one off phenomenon, but if they are recurrent no doubt you will be followed up by the ENT department. Don't stop or fiddle with any of your medications without having a natter with your doctor.

BP was checked and normal

Then don't worry unless it happens several times.

we are webmd now?

No we are not but having no previous experience or knowledge of the issue myself, hearing that others have experienced similar or the same helps to put the issue into perspective of whether it is serious or not. It definitely concerned me when it was happening.

Fair enough - this is where a lot of your friends are. :-)

Cheeky Monkey!

There is certainly a lot more overall life experience and an immense variety of subject knowledge than just one's personal friends on this forum 

Useful comments.

Thanks,

Ken

Hi Ken -

A few years back, I was taking Ibuprofen to relieve back pain, and nosebleeds were common - about one every week or two. Started avoiding NSAIDs as much as possible, and haven't had a nosebleed since.

Hope you figure this out soon!

Hook