Nosebleed is not a condition to be frightened of. It is not a sign of anything serious and can be easily treated at home. Also medically termed as epistaxis, nosebleeds commonly occur due to a dry climate, heated indoor air during the winter season, nasal sprays or any injury. Also, the people taking blood-thinning medicines are more prone to get blood from the nose.
How To Stop A Nose Bleed: Here are 5 Simple Steps To Stop A Nosebleed
Whatever be the reason, there are simple strategies which can be adopted when a nosebleed occurs to stop it. Blood coming out from anywhere in the body is obviously a scary sight, but you need to stay calm in this situation. Bleeding from the nose is not dangerous, so you need to stay calm and handle it wisely. Steps to stop a nosebleed.
Step-1. Lean your head forward when having a nosebleed. This would help to drain the blood out through the nose. Spit out the blood, if present in the mouth. Avoid swallowing the blood from the nosebleed. Blood in the stomach might make you feel sick and cause vomiting
Step-2. When suffering from a nosebleed, do not tilt your head backward or lie flat on back, as it may choke you. Stay upright, keeping your head above your heart. This will reduce the blood pressure in the blood vessels of the nose and prevent further bleeding
Step-3. Do not stuff the nose with a cotton ball, or tissue, as this could worsen the nosebleed.
Step-4. You can spray a decongestant such as Afrin into the bleeding nose.
Step-5. Next, pinch the soft part of the nose for 5-10 minutes. Breathe through your mouth during this time. This can stop the blood flow from the nose.
Once the nosebleed stops, do not blow your nose for at least 2 days, as it might lead to nosebleed again. If in case the nosebleed restarts, blow the nose to get rid of the clots.
Nosebleed: When To Seek Medical Help?
When suffering from a nosebleed, seek immediate medical help if:
- You are taking blood-thinning medicines or if you are suffering from hemophilia and the bleeding from the nose is not stopping
- If you have anemia symptoms, such as palpitations, shortness of breath or pallor with a nosebleed.
- If the child below 2 years of age gets a nosebleed.
- If nosebleeds come and go regularly.
- Nosebleed is an emergency if.
- The bleeding from the nose goes beyond 20 minutes.
- There is heavy bleeding from the nose and you have lost lots of blood.
- If you feel difficulty in breathing along with nosebleed.
- If nose bleed occurs after an injury.
- If you have swallowed a large amount of blood from the nose that makes you vomit.
Nosebleed: How To Prevent A Nosebleed?
Nosebleeds can be prevented by following the below tips:
- To prevent nosebleed, avoid picking your nose.
- Keep the fingernails trimmed to prevent nosebleed.
- Blow nose as little as possible, this helps a lot in preventing nosebleed.
- Keep the air inside the room humid, this also helps a lot in preventing nosebleed.
- You can apply petroleum jelly on the inside of the nose to keep the nostrils moist.
- Avoid overusing nasal decongestant, as they can lead to a nosebleed.
Nosebleeds are not a serious issue, but regular or frequent nosebleeds might indicate a serious health condition, such as high blood pressure or a clotting disorder.
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