# Sunlight makes the nose bleed longer

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunlight-makes-the-nose-bleed-longer/557>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 2, 1999, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunlight-makes-the-nose-bleed-longer/557 "1999-06-02T20:42:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 1999, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunlight-makes-the-nose-bleed-longer/557/1 "1999-06-02T20:42:00Z")

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For some reason, my nose bleeds tends to bleed when the temperature gets really hot. Does anyone have an explanation for this?

* * *

“[He] beat his fist down upon the table and hurt his hand and became so  
further enraged… that he beat his fist down upon the table even harder and  
hurt his hand some more.” – Joseph Heller’s Catch-22

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 1999, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunlight-makes-the-nose-bleed-longer/557/2 "1999-06-02T21:08:00Z")

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Blood vessels expand when the body is warmer. This is a part of the body’s natural mechanisms to regulate body temperature. An expanded blood vessel allows more heat to escape.

This is why an ice pack reduces swelling.

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**Author:** ![Keyzer\_Soza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@Keyzer\_Soza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keyzer_Soza)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunlight-makes-the-nose-bleed-longer/557/3 "2013-07-05T16:31:39Z")

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Actually, that has much more to do with the air generally being drier in the summer time. Nosebleeds are more common for most in this time of year.

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunlight-makes-the-nose-bleed-longer/557/4 "2013-07-05T16:53:09Z")

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> [@Keyzer\_Soza](#):
>
> Actually, that has much more to do with the air generally being drier in the summer time. Nosebleeds are more common for most in this time of year.

a) This thread is 14 years old.  
b) In most parts of the US, the air is drier in the winter.

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**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunlight-makes-the-nose-bleed-longer/557/5 "2013-07-05T19:45:36Z")

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> [@beowulff](#):
>
> a) This thread is 14 years old.

\*Absence \*makes the nose bleed longer?

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunlight-makes-the-nose-bleed-longer/557/6 "2013-07-05T21:08:35Z")

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zombie or no

the air is drier in a cold winter. nose bleeds happen easier when in extended dry air.

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**Author:** ![thicksantorum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@thicksantorum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thicksantorum)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunlight-makes-the-nose-bleed-longer/557/7 "2013-07-05T21:24:05Z")

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Well, looking at bright light can make you sneeze, and sneezing will certainly make a nosebleed last longer…