Exams and Tests

• To examine the nose, the doctor places medications into the nostrils, usually with a cotton ball, that numbs the inside of the nose as well as constricts the blood vessels in that area. Numbing medications make the examination less painful. The medicines that constrict the blood vessels shrink the nasal tissue and may even control the bleeding to make it easier for the doctor to see inside this small, dark cavity and identify the exact site of bleeding.

• The diagnosis of a posterior nosebleed is usually made when attempts to control the bleeding with the measures used to control an anterior nosebleed have failed. Seeing the source of a posterior nosebleed is nearly impossible.

• Laboratory tests are usually not needed. For severe nosebleeds, a blood count may be checked to assess the degree of blood loss. For individuals with blood clotting disorders or for those taking blood thinners, additional blood tests may be necessary as well.

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