A nosebleed can be a dramatic and frightening experience, but most cases of bleeding are nothing to worry about. Cases of nosebleeds are very common. Almost every person has at least one case of nosebleed in their life. The causes are usually dry air or nose picking.
If you or your child suffers from a nosebleed, the important thing is to know how to treat it properly. With proper self-care, most cases of bleeding will pass easily.
This topic will describe the circumstances in which a nosebleed warrants immediate medical attention, explains the appropriate self-care for nosebleeds, lists the common causes of nosebleeds, and offers some steps to help prevent repeated nosebleeds.
There are two main types of bleeding, and one can be more serious than the others:
● Anterior nosebleed - which originates from the front of the nose and causes blood to flow out through the nostrils. This is the most common type of bleeding and is usually not serious.
● Bleeding from the back of the nose - it originates in the back of the passage from the nose to the throat. A posterior nosebleed is less common than an anterior nosebleed, but it can be serious and can cause a lot of blood loss. Children usually do not suffer from posterior nosebleeds.
Immediate medical attention should be sought in the following cases:
● There is a massive bleeding or makes breathing difficult
● The bleeding leads to weakness, paleness, tiredness or confusion
● The bleeding does not stop even after performing the treatment attempts below
● The bleeding occurs after recent nose surgery or if there is a known tumor in the nose
● Occurs with other serious symptoms, such as chest pain
● Occurs after an injury, such as a blow to the face
• If the bleeding does not stop and you are taking medications that prevent blood clotting, such as Coumadin, Aspirin, Flavix, Clopidogrel, Predaxa, Xeralto, Eliquis, etc.
● Simultaneous bleeding from other places or repeated bleeding from the nose
Treatment - With proper self-care, most bleeding will stop:
1. Lean forward - sitting or standing. Do not lie down or tilt your head back. This may lead to blood ingestion and vomiting.
2. Press the lower soft part of the nose with two fingers. Do not press on the bridge of the nose and do not press on one side only, even if the bleeding is only from one nostril. In this way, pressure will be applied to the bleeding area and help it stop. See picture
3. Continue pressing the nose for 5 minutes (for children) or 10 to 15 minutes (for adults). Do not release the pressure from time to time to check if the bleeding has stopped.
4. You can also compress a gauze pad into the bleeding nostril and put an ice pack on the bridge of the nose. A cold compress or ice pack on the bridge of your nose. This step is not usually necessary, but in situations that do not improve it can be done.
If you have followed the steps described above, and the nose continues to bleed, repeat all the steps again. Apply pressure for a total of at least 30 minutes. If you continue to bleed, seek emergency medical care, in an emergency room or urgent care clinic.
The reasons for bleeding from the nose - the inside of the nose has many blood vessels close to the surface, so they are easily damaged. Most cases of nosebleeds are caused by irritation from dry or hot air, or by physical injury caused by nose picking.
Other causes of nosebleeds are allergies or prolonged colds, which lead to inflammation of the nasal passages. Common situations are bleeding from the nose because they suffer from allergies or a cold, and the nose is inflamed. Another common condition is injury to the face by falling or direct injury to the nose. Nosebleeds are rarely caused by serious problems, such as clotting disorders, blood vessel disorders, or cancer.
Medicines - if you are taking blood-thinning medicines, it is likely that the nosebleed will be more prolonged and difficult to stop.
Examples of drugs that can cause these problems include: Coumadin, Aspirin, Micropirin, Tevapirin, Cartia, Plavix, Clopidogrel, Pradaxa, Xaralto, Eliquis, Clexane etc.