A patient's medication history will be helpful in determining if nosebleeds are due to medications, drug interactions, or other substances. Anti-inflammatory drugs (eg, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen), anticoagulants (eg, warfarin [Coumadin], rivaroxaban), antiplatelet agents (eg, clopidogrel), and antiepileptics (eg, valproic acid) have been found to cause nosebleeds. Other classes of medications that can cause epistaxis are antidepressants, statins, antibiotics, antifungals, antihypertensives, and antihistamines. Exposure to rodenticides may be responsible for nosebleed, bruising, and other hemorrhage.

A minor anterior nosebleed may resolve on its own with conservative treatment. Monitoring medications and adjusting dosage may minimize bleeding episodes.

Management of bloody nose can include use of a cold compress, pinching the alae against the septum for 15 minutes, and nasal application of antibiotic. For recurrent, heavy bleeding, packing may be used (eg, Merocel tampon) to achieve hemostasis. Other methods include cautery or nasal balloon catheters. Treatment of recurring posterior epistaxis is more complex and may require hospitalization.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a type of drug-induced thrombocytopenia that typically occurs 5-10 days after the initiation of heparin therapy and is diagnosed using the 4 Ts score (thrombocytopenia, timing, thrombosis, and other causes of thrombocytopenia).