How do nosebleeds occur?

Nosebleeds are fairly common, particularly in children, and can usually be easily treated at home. The medical name for a nosebleed is epistaxis.

The inside of the nose is full of tiny blood vessels which can start bleeding if they are disturbed. This usually happens as the result of a minor injury that is caused by picking, or blowing, your nose.

Nosebleeds can also occur if the mucous membrane (the moist lining) inside the nose dries out and becomes crusty. This can be the result of an infection, cold weather, or the drying effect of central heating. The mucous membrane becomes inflamed (red and swollen) or cracked (the skin splits open) making it more likely to bleed, particularly if picked, or disturbed by a minor bump.

Nosebleeds are not usually serious. However, in very rare cases, nosebleeds can be life threatening, particularly in older people whose blood may take longer to clot, resulting in high blood loss. Nosebleeds are more common in people taking aspirin, anticoagulants (blood-thinning medicines), or for those with blood disorders.

If nosebleeds become frequent (more than once a week), it could be an indication of an underlying problem, such as high blood pressure (hypertension). Your GP will be able to take a blood pressure reading and give you advice about suitable treatment. They can also check any medicines that you are currently taking to see whether they are causing your nosebleeds.

For more information about dealing with a nosebleed, visit http://www.nhsinform.co.uk/health-library/articles/n/nosebleed/treatment/

What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not a single disease. The term IBD is used mainly to describe two diseases:

• Crohn’s disease

• ulcerative colitis

Both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic (long-term) diseases that involve inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract or gut. However, there are important differences between the two.

Ulcerative colitis only affects the colon (large intestine), while Crohn’s disease can affect the entire digestive system, from the mouth to the anus.

IBD is not the same as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a common yet poorly understood condition that causes symptoms such as constipation or diarrhoea, or sometimes both, and abdominal pain.

What is Lupus?

Lupus is an uncommon, complex and poorly understood condition that affects many parts of the body and causes many different symptoms ranging from mild to life-threatening. Some common symptoms of lupus include:

• fatigue

• skin rash

• joint pain and swelling

Lupus is an autoimmune condition, which means that it is caused by problems with the immune system (the body’s natural defence against illness and infection).

In people with lupus, for reasons that are not clearly understood, the immune system starts to attack healthy cells, tissue and organs. As with other more common autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, it is thought that a combination of genetic and environmental factors are responsible for triggering the onset of lupus in certain people.