My grandmother (86) is suffering from nose bleeds recently. What might be the cause and what medication can I buy?

When this happened to my mother, the cause was a rogue blood vessel which needed cauterising. So before you stick anything up there, take your grandmother to a walk-in clinic or her PCP and ask someone to have a good look.

You have received some great answers. My Dad who is on blood thinners post stroke has episodes of bad nose bleeds if his blood thinner dose is too high. Fish Oils taken as supplements can enhance the effect of blood thinners too.

Dad deals with it by taking his blood thinners 3 out of every 4 weeks. But he has to be hospitalized for a few hours to over night each time he has a nose bleed. It can quickly turn into a medical emergency.

Note he lives most the year with my brother and Doctor sil, so he has onsite medical expertise, yet each time my brother takes him directly to emergency.

You should consult with her Dr. Although dry heat is the main cause there are two other causes 1) as someone stated high blood pressure 2) medications such as aspirins and anticoagulants which is use for people who suffer from blood clots.
This is somthing that you should not handle youself. It may be nothing but given her age I wouldn't risk it.

Good luck.

If its the dry air, get a humidifier. Gas heat is a dry heat.

Nose bleeds can be a sign of high blood pressure. I would call the doctor.

The dry air may be causing this problem. It is possible she is "picking" at her nose. You can try to put a small amount of petroleum jelly in the opening of the nose using a Q-tip. Do not try to put it way inside. You could also try coconut oil or olive oil. If she is taking a blood thinner, it may be causing the nose bleeds. With someone who is this old, it is always best to consult a doctor about any issue. Something that is no big deal in a 30 year old, can be significant in an 86 year old. Thank you for your kindness and concern for grandmum.

This would be a great question to ask her health care provider. Most clinic systems and insurance companies have a nurse help line who will answer questions like this. They know the right questions to ask and they can suggest home remedies and/or suggest grandmother goes to urgent care or makes an appointment with her doctor. They are qualified to determine how serious the problem might be.