Ask The GloHealth Doctor – Your Health Questions Answered

Have you got a health concern you'd like some advice on? We've got our GloHealth Doctor, Dr. Conor Fitzgerald, on hand every week to answer your questions.* This week he's talking about exercise after nosebleeds and "stuffy" headaches...

"Hello. My son is 15 and has been getting nosebleeds quite frequently in the past few years, I had them quite a bit too in my teenage years and was always told it was just a “teenage thing”. Is there a reason for them? They could occur maybe every few months? Thanks for your help."

Hi and thank you for question. Recurrent epistaxis (nosebleeds) is relatively common condition which I would usually see in children and adolescents. They occur because the lining of the nose contains many tiny blood vessels that lie close to the surface and are easily damaged. The causes are many and would include dry air, which causes your nasal membranes to dry out and the classic: nose picking.

These are by far the two most common causes for recurrent nosebleeds. Other causes include sinusitis, upper respiratory tract infections, certain medications, deviated septum, over use of nasal sprays. This list is not exhaustive and there are some of rare causes of nosebleeds. 

Initial treatment is to wring out a wet cloth and place it over the soft part of your nose ( so your speech becomes 'nasal' in quality) and to hold it there for a full 15 minutes. Check only after 15 minutes, if the bleeding is not stopping after this time there is a problem and it may require treatment in the emergency department. Thankfully this is an extremely rare occurrence. 

If nosebleeds are ongoing , I would advise to see your GP , who may decide to refer your son to an ENT ( Ear, Nose, Throat) surgeon who may investigate the cause with blood tests and also treat the nose with a chemical called silver nitrate which usually works very well by cauterising (burning) the blood vessels closed. It is not a  painful procedure. I hope this information is of use to you and your son.

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"Hi, I’m 24 and I am living and working in Dublin at the moment. I am working in an office and I find the combination of heating and computers leaves me with this stuffy headache. I drink plenty of water during the day and I do walk a lot as exercise. Sometimes the headache could persist into the evening time, is there anything extra I could do? Thanks very much."

Hi and thank you for question. I am glad to hear you are exercising and drinking plenty of water. It is possible that the work environment is affecting your nasal passages and sinuses. I have several patients who suffer form these symptoms, particularly when the heating is switched on at work or home. 

When sinus get stuffed you can develop a chronic sinusitis. Headache is a common symptom of chronic sinusitis. There are of course many other causes of headache and it may be that it is not related to the heating at all. 

Your GP will want to know a detailed history about your headache and follow that with an examination. If it is chronic sinusitis treatment is usually in the form of daily nasal sprays, some of which may contain small amounts of steroid, along with decongestants and a saline nasal spray.

Fluids help, but alcohol will make the symptoms worse. It has been reported that sleeping with the head slightly elevated can help your sinuses drain. I think the important issue here is to arrive at a clear diagnosis first and then the appropriate treatment can be commenced. I hope this information points you in the right direction.

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If you've got a question you want to put to our GloHealth Doctor, just drop us a mail to [email protected] - all emails will be treated in the strictest confidence.

*If you have ongoing concerns about your symptoms, please contact your GP

Dr. Conor Fitzgerald, GloHealth Medical Council

MB BCh BAO DME MICGP

Dr. Conor Fitzgerald studied medicine at UCD, worked in Naas General Hospital and also in the Adelaide & Meath hospital, incorporating the National Childrens' Hospital, (AMNCH) Tallaght. He trained on the Mid Leinster GP Training Scheme and worked as a GP in Wicklow. Dr. Fitzgerald is currently working in GP practice in Lucan, Co.Dublin.