Nosebleed: 17 Hints to Stop the Flow.
There's nothing like a nosebleed to give you some idea about the sheer quantity of blood
you routinely carry around in your head. Vast amounts circulate through capillaries in the
nose alone.
Blow the clot out.
Before you try to stop your nosebleed, give your nose "one good, vigorous blow,"
says Alvin Katz, M.D., an otolaryngologist in private practice in New York City and
surgeon director at the Manhattan Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital. That removes any
clots that are keeping the blood vessel open. A clot acts like a "wedge in the
door," explains Dr.Katz. "Blood vessels have elastic fibers. If you can get the
clot out, you can get the elastic fibers to contract around that tiny opening."
This "really, really helps," adds John A. Henderson, M.D., a San Diego
otolaryngologist and allergist and assistant clinical professor of surgery at the
University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. "It saves you a lot of
nonsense." Sometimes, blowing the nose and applying a little pressure is enough
to stop the bleeding pronto.
Plug the bleeding side with wet cloth.
What do you wet the cotton with? Several of our experts mentioned over-the-counter
decongestants like Neo-Synephrine and Afrin Nasal Spray.
But Jeral Principato, M.D., an otolaryngologist in private practice in Bethesda, Maryland,
and associate clinical professor of otolaryngology at George Washington University School
of Medicine and Health Sciences, favors white vinegar. The acid in the vinegar cauterizes
gently, he says. Decongestants give only temporary control; if you abuse them, you can
hurt the nasal lining.
Plain gauze works, too.
If you don't have cotton handy, use plain sterile gauze, says Christine Haycock, M.D., a
private practitioner in Newark, New Jersey, and professor of clinical surgery at the
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/ New Jersey Medical School. Wet the
gauze before putting it in your nose. (When it's time to take it out, cup your hands
together, fill them with water, and wet the gauze. This should loosen it enough to take it
out.)
Pinch the Fleshy part of your nose.
As soon as you've blown your nose and packed it with cotton or gauze, use your thumb and
forefinger to squeeze shut the soft part of the nose. Apply continuous pressure for 5 to 7
minutes. If bleeding doesn't stop, apply fresh packing and pinch again for another 5 to 7
minutes. The bleeding should stop by the time you're through.
"Leave the cotton in another 20 minutes before you take it out," advises Mark
Baldree, M.D., a Pheonix, Arizona, otolaryngologist and staff member in the Division of
Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, at St.Joseph's Hospital there.
Sit straight up.
if you lie down or put your head back, you'll just swallow blood, says Dr.Katz.
Try an Ice Pack.
"Sometimes an ice pack can help quite a bit," says Dr.Haycock. The cold
encourages the blood vessels to narrow and reduces bleeding.
Don't Pick.
It takes seven to ten days to completely heal the rupture in the blood vessel that caused
your nose to bleed. Bleeding stop 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 Dr.Pincipato.
Apply and antibiotic/steroid ointment.
"If you apply a little bit inside your nose two or three times a day, it will destroy
any staph bacteria," says Giblert Levitt, M.D., a Puget Sound, Washington,
otolaryngologist and clinical instructor of otolaryngology at the University of Washington
School of Medicine. This will stop the itching and prevent the crusting of mucus that
might tempt you to pick.
Take Iron.
If you're prone to nosebleeds, consider iron supplements to help your body rapidly replace
the blood supply, says Dr.Levitt. Iron is a vital component of hemoglobin, a key substance
in red blood cells.
Watch your aspirin intake.
Aspirin can interfere with clotting.If you're prone to nosebleeds, experts advise that you
not take unnecessary aspirin.
Control your blood pressure.
Folks with hypertension are nosebleed prone. So follow a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet,
says Dr.Levitt. "If you have hypertension and a blood vessel breaks, better that it
should break outside the cranial cavity than inside. That would cause a stroke. It's like
God gave us a pop-off valve."
Humidify the air.
When you breathe, your nose has to work 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 good room humidifier, particularly one that takes several gallons to fill,
can help.
Dr.Katz recommends that you fill the
humidifier with distilled water to protect yourself from impurities in tap water. Also, be
sure to clean the unit properly, according to the manufacturer's instructions, at least
once a week. Fill it with equal parts of water and vinegar and run it for 20 minutes.
Get your fair share of vitamin C.
Vitamin C is necessary for the formation of collagen, a substance essential to the health
of your body tissue, says Dr.Henderson. The collagen in the tissue of your upper
respiratory tract helps mucus stick where it's supposed to, creating a moist, protective
lining for your sinuses and nose.
Be careful in choosing oral contraceptives.
Estrogen influences mucus production. Anything that changes the estrogen balance in your
body - including menstruation, for women - can make you more prone to nosebleeds. Certain
oral contraceptives also alter the balance. If nosebleeds are a problem for you, be sure
to discuss this with your doctor when you choose your birth control pill.
Don't Smoke.
You want to keep the nasal cavity moist. Smoking really dries it out, says Dr.Baldree.
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