Arterial nose bleeds in adults are serious and potentially life threatening whose cause is undetermined in 85% of cases.3 Our finding that alcohol is an important causal factor in nose bleeds is supported by the growing evidence of the cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory effects of alcohol.
Regular alcohol consumption reduces platelet aggregation and prolongs the bleeding time; these effects, coupled with haemodynamic changes such as vasodilatation and changes in blood pressure, may be important in causing some cases of arterial nose bleeds in adults.
While the cause of nose bleeds in adults is likely to be multifactorial, the
importance of high alcohol consumption should not be overlooked, and a detailed alcohol history should always be obtained.