Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about nosebleeds.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero definals.com slash nosebleeds

or in the ear, nose and throat section of the zero to finals surgery book.

So let's get straight into it.

Nosebleeds are also known as epistaxis.

Bleeding usually originates from Kieselbach's Plexus,

which is located in Littles area on the inside of the nose.

This is an area of the nasal mucosa at the front of the nasal cavity that contains a lot of blood vessels.

When the mucosa is disrupted and the blood vessels are exposed, they can become more prone to bleeding.

Atompt it for you, Little's area, which is the area most affected by Little Fingers Picking Noses,

is a popular exam topic.

It's worth remembering Little's area as examiners like to ask what is the most likely location

of the bleeding.

Let's talk about the presentation.

Nosebleeds are common in young children and older adults.

They can be triggered by nose picking,

colds or viral upper respiratory tract infections,

sinusitis, vigorous nose blowing,

trauma to the nose,

changes in the weather, coagulation disorders,

for example thrombocytopinia, which is a low platelet count, or von Willebrand disease,

...