How To Stop A Nosebleed

26th September 2018

How To Stop A Nosebleed

How To Stop A Nose Bleed

What is a nosebleed?

A nosebleed happens when blood flows from one or both nostrils. Nosebleed is normally caused by the tiny blood vessels inside the nostrils being ruptured. It can be heavy or light and last from a few seconds to 10 minutes or more.

Nosebleeds can be a bit frightening, but they are not usually a sign of anything serious and can often be treated at home.

The medical name for a nosebleed is epistaxis.

What can cause nosebleeds

Nosebleeds are common. The most common causes of nosebleeds are drying of the nasal membranes, blow to the nose, sneezing, nose picking, blowing the nose, and high blood pressure.

Who can get nosebleeds?

Nosebleeds are fairly common and most people will experience them every now and again. Anyone can get a nosebleed, but they most often affect:

children between two and 10 years of age
elderly people
pregnant women
people who regularly take aspirin or anticoagulants, such as warfarin
people with blood clotting disorders, such as haemophilia

How to treat Nosebleeds

Most of the time, nosebleeds can be stopped without the need for medical attention, but occasionally further treatment may be required.

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What to do when you have a nosebleed

To stop a nosebleed:

sit down and firmly pinch the soft part of your nose, just above your nostrils, for at least 10-15 minutes
lean forward and breathe through your mouth – this will drain blood down your nose instead of down the back of your throat
place an ice pack or bag of frozen vegetables covered by a towel on the bridge of your nose
stay upright, rather than lying down as this reduces the blood pressure in the blood vessels of your nose and will discourage further bleeding

If the bleeding eventually stops, you will not need to seek medical advice. However, you should still follow the recovery advice outlined below.

Can nosebleeds be serious?

Nosebleeds are not usually serious. However, if the nosebleeds are frequent or heavy it may indicate more serious health problems, such as high blood pressure or a blood clotting disorder, and should be checked.

Excessive bleeding over a prolonged period of time can also lead to further problems such as anaemia.

When to see a Doctor about Nosebleeds

a child under 2 years old has a nosebleed
you have regular nosebleeds
you have symptoms of anaemia – such as a faster heartbeat (palpitations), shortness of breath and pale skin
you’re taking a blood-thinning medicine, such as warfarin
you have a condition that means your blood can’t clot properly, such as haemophilia

Your GP might want to test you for haemophilia or for other conditions such as anaemia.