In children, there is seldom massive blood loss, but the sight of blood especially when the child
wakes up at night is extremely stressful for the child and the parents. This epistaxis can also disrupt
school activities and sport where there may be minor trauma to the nose.
In Adults however, this nosebleed may be life threatening with a significant loss occurring within
minutes. This can naturally drop the haemoglobin and the blood pressure.
The patient often swallows the blood which pools in the stomach and later results in massive
haematemesis (vomiting blood) and melena. This severe epistaxis can occur after trauma to the nose
and may even be due to a tumour. The latter is obviously excluded via a telescope examination.
What Causes Nosebleeds?