What's Behind Your Headache and Nosebleed?

Headaches and nosebleeds can frequently happen. Nosebleeds usually happen because of damage to the blood vessels in the nose.

A headache and nosebleed could just be a sign of an allergy such as hay fever. However, it could also be a sign of something more serious, such as anaemia. Anaemia is where you don’t have enough red blood cells.

How to treat headaches and nosebleeds depends on their cause.

Why do people get headaches and nosebleeds?

It’s easy to damage the tiny blood vessels in your nose, especially if you live in a very dry climate. A shifted nasal wall (the divider between your two nasal passages) can also result in nosebleeds. It might also lead to a blockage in one or both nasal passages. Other symptoms are face pain and snoring at night.

The nasal passages are the spaces inside your nose through which air flows. They extend from your nostrils all the way back to your throat.

Mild conditions leading to headaches and nosebleeds are:

• Sinus infections

• Cold or flu

• Overuse of sinus sprays

• Dry mucus in the nose

• Hay fever

Serious but less common causes of headaches and nosebleeds are:

• Brain tumours

• Heart disease

• A too-high blood platelet count

• Leukaemia

Talk to your doctor if you also get symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or dizziness with your headaches and nosebleeds.

What triggers headaches and nosebleeds in adults?

Adults who suffer from migraines are more likely to get nosebleeds. They may be a sign that a migraine is on its way – more research is needed into this idea.

Nosebleed triggers include:

• Picking your nose

• Living in a dry climate

• Being exposed to carbon monoxide

• High blood pressure

• Blood issues like anaemia

• Infections in the nasal passage

• Use of drugs that are snorted up the nose (cocaine)

• Breathing in chemicals like ammonia

• Certain drugs, such as warfarin

• Head injuries

Seek medical care straight away if you have any of these symptoms with a headache:

• Confusion

• Fainting

• A high temperature

• Paralysis

• Unusual sickness and vomiting

You should also seek emergency care if the nosebleeds are very heavy or last for a long time. This is especially true if you may have broken your nose or if you are having trouble breathing.

Always get medical help for a head injury straight away, especially if your symptoms get worse over time.

Pregnancy-related headaches and nosebleeds

Headaches and nosebleeds during pregnancy are common. They occur because more blood is going to the nasal lining. Changes in a woman’s hormones often cause headaches, particularly at the start of pregnancy.

Here is some more information about headaches and nosebleeds in pregnancy:

• Increased blood flow to the nasal lining can cause nosebleeds.

• Changes in a woman’s hormones often cause headaches, particularly at the start of pregnancy

• Severe headaches may indicate preeclampsia. This is a serious condition involving high blood pressure.

Seek medical advice if your nosebleed persists for over 20 minutes. The NHS page on pregnancy-related headaches and nosebleeds has more information.

Children's headaches and nosebleeds

Children’s nosebleeds are usually caused by nose picking, poor posture, irregular meals, and a lack of sleep. There is a link between migraines and nosebleeds in children. Frequent migraines and nosebleeds could be a sign of serious health issues like high blood pressure, leukaemia, or anaemia.

Here is some more information about headaches and nosebleeds in children:

• Nose picking, poor posture, irregular meals, and a lack of sleep are all triggers.

• Studies show a link between migraines and frequent nosebleeds.

• Frequent migraines and nosebleeds could be a sign of serious health issues like high blood pressure, leukaemia, or anaemia

Watch out for these symptoms, as they could be a sign of something serious:

• Ongoing tiredness

• Feeling weak and sleepy

• Feeling chilled and dizzy

• Bruising or bleeding easily

Ask your doctor for advice. They can perform tests to check whether there is anything to worry about.

Seek medical help straight away if headaches come with symptoms like confusion, fainting, severe dizziness, a high temperature, paralysis or sickness and vomiting.

You should also seek emergency care if the nosebleeds are very heavy or last for a long time. This is especially true if the child may have broken their nose or if they are having trouble breathing.

Seek medical care straight away for nosebleeds in infants under two years old.

Diagnosis of headaches and nosebleeds

If you go to see a doctor about your headaches, try tracking your symptoms beforehand. The doctor is likely to ask about the medicines you take and how long you have had the symptoms for. They might also ask about your use of sinus sprays and any other symptoms you have.

The doctor may also ask about your family history. This is so they can assess any genetic risks.

The doctor may order blood tests, head or chest X-rays, kidney ultrasounds and/or blood pressure tests.

Treatment

Treatment for ongoing nosebleeds may include cauterising the blood vessels or surgery. Over-the-counter medicines are common for headaches, but aspirin should be avoided as it can worsen bleeding.

Other medicines may be prescribed for migraines if you get them frequently.

Other options include a headache diary, lifestyle changes and relaxation techniques.

Home care and prevention

To manage nosebleeds at home, sit upright, lean forward, pinch the nostrils, and block the flow with cotton pads. Resting in a cool, dark room can help with a headache.

To prevent headaches and nosebleeds, use a steam vaporiser to add moisture to the air during dry seasons. If you get hay fever, you can take medicine to help with the symptoms.

Teach children about the dangers of nose picking and ensure that they have a safe place to play.

To reduce the likelihood of headaches:

- Try stress reduction techniques,

- Correct your posture to relieve strain

- Try to find out what your triggers are.

For migraines, there are medicines that doctors can prescribe. These include sumatriptan pills and Imigran nasal spray. Both can help with severe migraine symptoms.