People with high blood pressure or atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) are especially vulnerable to nosebleeds, as are those taking certain medications, such as anticoagulants, anti-inflammatories, and aspirin. Nose blowing, nose picking, excessive sneezing, allergies, and foreign objects in the nose can also prompt bleeding. Nosebleeds seem to be the most common among children, largely from their sometimes aggressive style of playing, says Sally Robinson, MD. Whatever the cause, its generally no cause for alarm, and you can do many things to stop nosebleeds. Here’s what the experts say.
Keep Calm
Step one is to stay calm, since panicking will only make dealing with the bloody nose more challenging. Remember, nosebleeds look dramatic, but they’re generally easy to resolve.
Blow The Clot Out
Before you try to stop your nosebleed, give your nose one good, vigorous blow, says Alvin Katz, MD. That should remove any clots that are keeping the blood vessel open. A clot acts like a “wedge in the door,” he explains. Blood vessels have elastic fibers. If you can get the clot out, you can get the elastic fibers to contract around that tiny opening. MORE: 6 Things Your Mucus Says About Your Health
Fill The Void With Cotton
Once the clot is removed, Katz advises putting a small amount of nasal decongestant on a ball of cotton and inserting it about a 1/2 inch into the bleeding nostril. This will soak up any additional blood and help stop the bleeding.
Pinch The Fleshy Part Of Your Nose
Once the cotton is in place, use your thumb and forefinger to squeeze shut the soft part of the nose with a tissue or clean washcloth. Apply continuous pressure for 10 minutes, and then remove the cotton. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, pinch again for another 5 to 7 minutes. The bleeding should stop by the time you’re through.
Watch The Clock
Ten minutes may seem like an awfully long time while you’re sitting there pinching a child’s nose—or your own—but Robinson says it’s important not to let up. “Don’t give up too soon,” she says. “If you don’t hold the nose long enough, the bleeding will start again shortly after you let go.”
Sit Up Straight
This is important, as leaning back while a nose is bleeding can cause blood to run down the back of the throat, says Keith Bly, MD. “This not only tastes bad and can initiate a coughing fit, but also the blood can irritate the stomach and cause vomiting,” he says.
Chill Out
While you’re pinching the nose shut, place a cold washcloth or towel against the back of the neck or the bridge of the nose to provide additional relief and slow bleeding. “This can constrict blood vessels and help stem the flow,” says Bly.
Run Interference
Sitting still for 10 minutes is usually no problem if you’re an adult, but it can be maddening for a child. That’s why Robinson recommends talking to your child to keep him or her calm during that time. Explain exactly what you’re doing, and why you’re doing it.
Reach For The Spray
In almost all cases, going through the steps listed above is sufficient to stop nosebleeds. If it doesn’t, however, a last resort is an over-the-counter nasal spray such as Afrin, which can shrink blood vessels and help a scab form.
Keep It From Coming Back
Once it’s gone, there are still a few steps you can take to prevent new bleeding, says Robinson. “After a nosebleed has stopped, moisturizing the inside of the nostrils with petroleum jelly and keeping a humidifier in the room can keep the delicate tissue from drying and cracking,” she says. “And the Afrin may be useful at this point to help prevent further bleeding.”
Don’t Pick
It takes 7 to 10 days to heal the rupture in the blood vessel that caused your nose to bleed. Bleeding stops after the clot forms, but the clot becomes a scab as healing continues. If you pick your nose during the next week and knock the scab off, you’ll give yourself another nosebleed, says Jerold Principato, MD. MORE: 7 Parts Of Your Body You Shouldn’t Touch With Your Hands
Humidify The Air
When you breathe, that moist lining in your nose works to make sure that the air that reaches your lungs is well humidified. So it follows that when your surroundings are dry, your nose has to work harder. A cold-mist humidifier, operating when the air is dry, helps moisturize airways and tissue linings. “Moist tissue has better resistance and less reactivity than dry tissue,” says Katz. He recommends filling the humidifier with distilled water to protect against impurities in tap water. Also, be sure to clean the unit properly, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, at least once a week.
Watch Your Aspirin Intake
Aspirin can interfere with clotting. If you’re prone to nosebleeds, don’t take unnecessary aspirin. (Here’s 5 over-the-counter medications that may do more harm than good.)
Be Careful In Choosing Oral Contraception
Estrogen influences blood supply and mucus production. Anything that changes the estrogen balance in your body—including menstruation—can make you more prone to nosebleeds. Certain oral contraceptives also alter the balance. If nosebleeds are a problem and estrogen hormone is a suspect, discuss this with your doctor when you choose your birth control pill, or opt for a non-hormonal birth control method.
Don’t Smoke
Along with the 2,001 other bad things it does to the body, smoking really dries out the nasal cavity, says Mark Baldree, MD. It can make you more prone to nosebleeds.
When To Go To A Doctor
Nosebleeds are rarely serious, but there are instances that demand immediate medical attention. Head for the emergency room if:
You’ve applied pressure for 10 to 15 minutes, but your nose still bleeds. Your nosebleed results from a head injury.You’ve been diagnosed with atherosclerosis or high blood pressure, and your nose has bled for more than 10 minutes. You have blood pulsating from the nose or coming from both nostrils. You have difficulty breathing. You bruise easily, or there is a history of clotting problems in your family.
Finally, if your nosebleeds become too frequent and don’t seem to be associated with a cold or an irritation of the mucous membranes, schedule an appointment with your physician.
Panel Of Advisors
Mark Baldree, MD, is a staff member in the division of otolaryngologist in the department of surgery at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix. Keith Bly, MD, is an assistant professor of pediatrics in the University of Texas Medical Branch Children’s Emergency Room in Galveston. Alvin Katz, MD, is an otolaryngologist at the Manhattan Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital, Lenox Hill Hospital, and Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. He is past president of the American Rhinologic Society. Jerold Principato, MD, is an otolaryngologist in Bethesda, Maryland. Sally Robinson, MD, is a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch Children’s Hospital in Galveston.
