When a person gets a cut, the body initiates an immune system response to form clots that plug up the source of bleeding and prevent excess blood loss. Blood cell fragments called platelets and a variety of proteins called coagulation factors are involved in this clotting process. Those who are missing any of these structures may experience random or excessive bleeding, including frequent nose bleeds.
Factor V Deficiency
Factor V deficiency is a lack of a coagulation factor called factor V, which is a plasma protein. When factor V is missing from the blood, it prevents the blood from clotting normally. Factor V deficiency can be inherited or acquired as a result of giving birth, surgery or autoimmune disorders, according to MedlinePlus, a service of the National Institutes of Health. Symptoms of factor V deficiency include bleeding into the skin, bleeding gums, bruising easily, heavy periods, chronic nosebleeds and excessive loss of blood after injury. Factor V deficiency is a rare condition with no available long-term treatment. Severe bleeding episodes are temporarily treated with blood plasma infusions.
Deviated Septum
The nose contains a thin wall called the nasal septum that separates the nose into two nasal passages. In some individuals, the nasal septum is centered and creates two equal sized nasal passages. In those with a deviated septum, the nasal septum is shifted to one side, which makes one nasal passage larger than the other. A deviated septum may be congenital or acquired after severe injury to the nose. Minor deviations do not usually cause any symptoms. When the septum is significantly displaced, it can cause obstruction of one the nostrils, breathing difficulty, nasal congestion, chronic nosebleeds, recurrent sinus infections and noisy breathing during sleep, according to MayoClinic.com. The only way to correct a deviated septum is through surgery, which is usually only recommended if symptoms are extremely bothersome.
Hemophilia
Hemophilia is a blood clotting disorder caused by missing coagulation factors in the blood. There are two types of hemophilia: type A and type B. Type A hemophilia is caused by a factor VIII deficiency and type B hemophilia is caused by a factor IX deficiency. Hemophilia is usually inherited, but in rare cases can be acquired later in life, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Symptoms of hemophilia include excessive external bleeding, such as through nosebleeds or heavy bleeding from a small cut; internal bleeding that is discovered as blood in the urine or stool; and swelling of the joints. Treatment for hemophilia consists of regular infusions of missing coagulation factors called replacement therapy.
