How do I stop a nosebleed?

Question

I have high blood pressure and get frequent nosebleeds. What are some ways to help prevent them?

Answer 1

"Most nosebleeds occur in the front of the nose and involve only one nostril. Some blood may drain down the back of the nose into the throat. These nosebleeds typically are not serious, and you can generally treat them yourself at home.

A less common but more serious type of nosebleed starts in the back of the nose and often involves both nostrils. Large amounts of blood may run down the back of the throat. This type of nosebleed may occur more frequently in older adults because of health conditions they may have. You may need treatment from a health professional to control bleeding from this type of nosebleed.

Stopping a nosebleed
Follow these steps to stop a nosebleed:

Sit up straight and tip your head slightly forward.
Note: Do not tilt your head back. This may cause blood to run down the back of your throat, and you may swallow it. Swallowed blood can irritate your stomach and cause vomiting. Spit out any blood that gathers in your mouth and throat rather than swallowing it.
Blow all the clots out of your nose. This may require fairly forceful blowing, and the bleeding may increase when clots come out of the nose.
After blowing out the clots, use your thumb and forefinger to firmly pinch the soft part of your nose shut. You will have to breathe through your mouth.
Apply an ice pack to your nose and cheeks. Cold will constrict the blood vessels and help stop the bleeding.
Keep pinching for a full 10 minutes. Use a clock to time the 10 minutes. It can seem like a long time. Resist the urge to peek after a few minutes to see if your nose has stopped bleeding.
Check to see if your nose is still bleeding after 10 minutes. If it is, hold it for 10 more minutes. Most nosebleeds will stop after 10 to 20 minutes of direct pressure.
Put a light coating of a moisturizing ointment, such as Vaseline, inside your nose. Do not blow your nose or put anything else inside your nose for at least 12 hours after the bleeding has stopped.
Rest quietly for a few hours."

Answer 2

How do you stop the common nosebleed?

Most people who develop nose bleeding can handle the problem without the need of a physician if they follow the recommendations below:

1. Pinch all the soft parts of the nose together between your thumb and index finger.
2. Press firmly toward the face - compressing the pinched parts of the nose against the bones of the face.
3. Hold the nose for at least 5 minutes (timed by the clock). Repeat as necessary until the nose has stopped bleeding.
4. Sit quietly, keeping the head higher than the level of the heart; that is, sit up or lie with the head elevated. Do not lay flat or put your head between your legs.
5. Apply ice (crushed in a plastic bag or washcloth) to nose and cheeks.

How do you prevent the nose from bleeding again?

1. Go home and rest with head elevated at 30 to 45 degrees.
2. Do not blow your nose or put anything into it. If you have to sneeze, open your mouth so that the air will escape out the mouth and not through the nose.
3. Do not strain during bowel movements. Use a stool softener (for example, Colace).
4. Do not strain or bend down to lift anything heavy.
5. Try to keep your head higher than the level of your heart.
6. Do not smoke.
7. Stay on a soft cool diet. No hot liquids for at least 24 hours.
8. Do not take any medications which will "thin the blood" (aspirin or aspirin products). If these have been prescribed by your primary care physician, you need to contact him or her regarding stopping these medications.
9. Your doctor may recommend some form of lubricating ointment for the inside of the nose (see below).
10. If re-bleeding occurs, try to clear the nose of clots by sniffing in forcefully. You can try using a nasal decongestant spray, such as Afrin, Duration, or Neo-Synephrine. These types of sprays constrict blood vessels. (NOTE: If used for many days at a time, these can cause addiction.)
11. Repeat the steps above on how to stop the common nose bleed. If bleeding persists, then call your doctor and/or come to the emergency room.

Answer 3

Follow these steps to stop a nosebleed:

Sit up straight and tip your head slightly forward.
* Note: Do not tilt your head back. This may cause blood to run down the back of your throat, and you may swallow it. Swallowed blood can irritate your stomach and cause vomiting. Spit out any blood that gathers in your mouth and throat rather than swallowing it.

Blow all the clots out of your nose. This may require fairly forceful blowing, and the bleeding may increase when clots come out of the nose.

After blowing out the clots, use your thumb and forefinger to firmly pinch the soft part of your nose shut. You will have to breathe through your mouth.

Apply an ice pack to your nose and cheeks. Cold will constrict the blood vessels and help stop the bleeding.

Keep pinching for a full 10 minutes. Use a clock to time the 10 minutes. It can seem like a long time. Resist the urge to peek after a few minutes to see if your nose has stopped bleeding.

Check to see if your nose is still bleeding after 10 minutes. If it is, hold it for 10 more minutes. Most nosebleeds will stop after 10 to 20 minutes of direct pressure.

Put a light coating of a moisturizing ointment, such as Vaseline, inside your nose. Do not blow your nose or put anything else inside your nose for at least 12 hours after the bleeding has stopped.

Rest quietly for a few hours.

Answer 4

Rest with head elevated at 30 to 45 degrees.
Do not blow your nose or put anything into it. If you have to sneeze, open your mouth so that the air will escape out the mouth and not through the nose.
Do not strain or bend down to lift anything heavy.
Try to keep your head higher than the level of your heart.
Do not smoke.
Stay on a soft cool diet. No hot liquids for at least 24 hours.
Do not take any medications which will "thin the blood" (aspirin or aspirin products). If these have been prescribed by your primary care physician, you need to contact him or her regarding stopping these medications.
Your doctor may recommend some form of lubricating ointment for the inside of the nose (see below).
If re-bleeding occurs, try to clear the nose of clots by sniffing in forcefully. You can try using a nasal decongestant spray, such as Afrin, Duration, or Neo-Synephrine. These types of sprays constrict blood vessels. (NOTE: If used for many days at a time, these can cause addiction.)

Answer 5

First make sure you are getting enough vitamin C. This is essential to having strong capillaries, so they won't break too easily.
Second, supplement with Vitamin K or chlorophyll capsules, which contain Vitamin K. This helps the blood to clot.
If your doctor has told you to take aspirin or other "blood thinners," talk to him/her about the nosebleeds, as these medications may contribute to the nosebleeds.

Answer 6

If you are using a nasal spray commenly used for allergies that could also cause them. Just remember not to tilt your head back like your grandmother used to tell you it can lead to other problems due to the blood in your stomach, you want to tilt your head forward and apply pressure on the outter bridge of your nose. Also apply ice every once in a while.

Consult your local doctor, it may be caused by a different health condition which could require medication.

Answer 7

I'm going to be short and sweet. Once a nosebleed has already begun, the only way to stop it is to rest with your head tilted back holding a tissue and slightly squeezing the nose. This will stop it in no time!

Answer 8

I'm sorry to listen to approximately your nostril bleeds. My husband suffers from them on occasion, and feel it or no longer, here's what we do. Firstly, he blows his nostril, no longer rough, however blows it in order that blood and clots will pop out. Secondly, hold your head up, no longer tilted again - you do not wish to swallow any blood or choke on it - and final, however no longer least, and I recognise this may occasionally sound unusual, I maintain both 1 / 4 or an ice dice at the bridge of his nostril. This has constantly labored - in particular blowing your nostril - it's going to eliminate the clots that a lot faster and support to give up the bleeding. Hope this is helping you too.

Answer 9

If you get frequent nosebleeds, you probably need an operation.