Causes

By Mayo Clinic Staff

The lining of the nose has many tiny blood vessels. Those blood vessels lie close to the surface and are easily irritated.

The two most common causes of nosebleeds are:

  1. Dry air. When nasal membranes dry out, they're more likely to bleed.
  2. Nose picking.

Other causes of nosebleeds include:

  1. Accidents or other injury to the nose.
  2. Acute sinusitis
  3. Allergies
  4. Aspirin use.
  5. Bleeding conditions, such as hemophilia.
  6. Blood thinners, called anticoagulants, such as warfarin and heparin.
  7. Chemicals that can irritate the inside of the nose, such as ammonia.
  8. Chronic sinusitis
  9. Cocaine use.
  10. Common cold
  11. Deviated septum
  12. Nasal sprays, such as those used to treat allergies, if they're used often.
  13. Nonallergic rhinitis
  14. Object in the nose

Less common causes of nosebleeds include:

  1. Alcohol use.
  2. Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia
  3. Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)
  4. Leukemia
  5. Nasal and paranasal tumors
  6. Nasal polyps
  7. Nasal surgery.

In general, nosebleeds are not a symptom of or caused by high blood pressure.

Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.

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Dec. 24, 2025

See also

  1. 10 ways to control high blood pressure without medication
  2. Acute lymphocytic leukemia
  3. Acute myelogenous leukemia
  4. Alpha blockers
  5. Angiotensin II receptor blockers
  6. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
  7. Aplastic anemia
  8. Aspergillosis
  9. Beta blockers
  10. Blood pressure chart: What your reading means
  11. Broken nose
  12. Calcium channel blockers
  13. Central-acting agents
  14. Choosing blood pressure medicines
  15. Coarctation of the aorta
  16. Deviated septum
  17. Diuretics
  18. Exercise: A drug-free approach to lowering high blood pressure
  19. Gaucher disease
  20. Get the most out of home blood pressure monitoring
  21. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis
  22. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)
  23. Hemophilia
  24. High blood pressure (hypertension)
  25. High blood pressure and sex: Overcome the challenges
  26. High blood pressure dangers: Hypertension's effects on your body
  27. How to measure blood pressure using a manual monitor
  28. How to measure blood pressure using an automatic monitor
  29. Hypertension FAQs
  30. Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)
  31. Medications and supplements that can raise your blood pressure
  32. Picnic Problems: High Sodium
  33. Plague
  34. Skull base tumors
  35. Stress and high blood pressure: What's the connection?
  36. Vasodilators
  37. Von Willebrand disease
  38. What is blood pressure?
  39. What is hypertension? A Mayo Clinic expert explains.