Nosebleed is usually not a serious issue, but it troubles us nonetheless. Nosebleeds are frequently brought on by a number of medical conditions such as colds, allergies, high blood pressure, and bleeding disorders like haemophilia or von Willebrand disease. Being hit in the nose, picking one's nose, intense activity, and extreme cold or dry air can also cause it. The worst thing is nosebleeds can sometimes happen on their own without other factors as well.

Most of the time, when blood vessels are damaged in the front of the nose, nosebleeds happen. However, bleeding can occasionally start at the back of the nose. The majority of nosebleeds are not life-threatening and may be managed with simple first aid in nosebleed techniques. So, let us take a look at how to provide first aid for this issue. 

What is Nosebleed?

A nosebleed is when one or both sides of the nasal septum bleed. It is a common condition caused by the tearing of the small blood vessels in the septum from hard nasal picking, severe impact to the septum, dry nasal mucosa, or an elevated body temperature. Moreover, some drugs, such as anticoagulants in heart disease patients, can also result in epistaxis, as can anomalies such as clotting disorders or haemophilia, nasal polyps, or nasopharyngeal malignancy. Nosebleeds start on their own and are frequently hard to stop, so they need the assistance of an expert. A person may also spit up or even vomit blood if blood seeps into the back of their throat!

There are two kinds of nosebleeds: anterior and posterior. Anterior nosebleeds, the most common kind, occur where the ruptured blood vessels are in the front of the nose. Usually, these nosebleeds may be controlled with simple epistaxis first aid management! Posterior nosebleeds are less common but can be more severe as the ruptured blood vessels, in this case, are located in the nose's inner sides. They might be the outcome of more serious underlying medical conditions, including high blood pressure. 

Common Causes of Nosebleed 

When the small blood vessels within your nose burst, it results in nosebleeds. Check out the common causes of nosebleeds here:  

• A knock or blow to the head or face

• Blowing your nose too forcefully

• Picking your nose

• Living in a high temperatures and low humidity area

• An infection in your nose 

• Cold or hay fever (allergic rhinitis)

• Medications such as blood thinners, anti-inflammatory drugs, and nasal sprays 

• Diseases such as nasal polyps, sinusitis, and leukaemia 

• Blood disorders 

What Is the Correct First Aid for Nosebleed?

Here’s the right way to give first aid in a nosebleed: 

• Reassure the individual and help them keep calm as panicking increases blood flow.  

• Apply a cold compress or cloth to the person's forehead and neck, paying particular attention to the sides of the neck.

• Pinch the soft area of the nose together with your thumb and index finger. Applying pressure at or above the bony portion of the nose won't halt the bleeding in that area.

• Ask the patient to try breathing through the mouth.

• Help the patient sit up straight and incline their head slightly forward.

A First-Aid Kit for nosebleeds should include bandages, various sizes of sterile gauze pads, latex gloves, cotton buds, and distilled saline water.  Advise the individual not to pick their nose for the remainder of the day and not to sniff or blow their nose for at least fifteen minutes. Check to determine if the bleeding has stopped after ten minutes by releasing the pressure on the nose.

If simple first aid management, such as pinching the nose and breathing through the mouth, does not stop the bleeding, the patient should visit a doctor or hospital emergency room! The physician will be able to identify the cause of the nosebleeds and recommend a treatment plan to help prevent them from happening again. 

Other Treatment Options for Nosebleed

The patient could require nosebleed treatment such as a nasal spray, cream, or ointment to treat the nose with specific dressings and constrict (shut) the blood vessels in it. They might require further therapy if their nosebleeds continue and become problematic. Surgery to seal off the blood arteries in the nose may be the course of nosebleed treatment in some cases. One should visit the closest emergency room if the bleeding is severe and does not stop after twenty minutes.  

Methods to Prevent Nosebleeds

Although nosebleeds are sometimes unavoidable, there are certain things you may do to lessen your risk of having one, so take a look: 

• Nosebleeds may occur due to dryness. Apply a small layer of petroleum jelly to your nostrils with a cotton swab three times a day, especially right before bed.

• Another option is to apply an antibiotic ointment such as Polysporin or Bacitracin.

• The inside of your nose stays wet when you use saline nasal spray.

• Put a humidifier to use because it's possible that the dry air in your home is causing nosebleeds. 

• Refrain from the overuse of cold and allergy drugs. Your nose may get dry from them.   

When to Visit the Emergency Room 

In certain cases of nosebleeds, one must visit the emergency room without delay.

• There is bleeding for almost twenty minutes.

• The nosebleed occurs after a fall, an accident, or a head injury, such as a hit to the face that may have fractured your nose.

• Feeling of weakness, disorientation, dizziness.

• Fainting, breathlessness, and irregular heartbeat. 

• A severe head injury or neck damage is suspected.

• The nosebleed patient has a history of bleeding or bruising easily.

• If the patient is taking any blood-thinning medications, large doses of aspirin or warfarin.

• If the patient’s blood pressure is high.

It will be difficult to stop bleeding with epistaxis first aid management if the nosebleed is entering the oesophagus from the back of the nose, and medical attention should be sought. Visit a doctor if you think you may have a nosebleed due to a broken nose because an incorrectly healed nose can lead to problems, such as breathing and appearance problems, later. Seek medical attention if any item gets trapped in the nose and cannot be removed using normal methods!

Final Remarks 

Nosebleed is usually not a serious condition, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it! Practice the first aid methods discussed above to stop nosebleeds at home. However, if the bleeding doesn’t stop, visit the emergency care room of a hospital soon for proper treatment. 

Contact Medanta to receive emergency treatment for nosebleeds! 

FAQs

1. What is the most important step in stopping a nosebleed?

Applying direct pressure to the soft part of the nose (below the bony bridge) is the most crucial step. Pinch the nostrils firmly together for at least 10 minutes.

2. Should I tilt the head back or forward during a nosebleed?

Tilt the head slightly forward to prevent blood from running down the throat and potentially causing choking or nausea.

3. How long should I apply pressure to the nose?

Maintain pressure for at least 10 minutes, even if the bleeding seems to have stopped.

4. What if the bleeding doesn't stop after 10 minutes of pressure?

Apply pressure for another 10 minutes. If the bleeding still persists, seek medical attention.

5. Can I use ice to help stop a nosebleed?

Yes, applying a cold compress (ice pack wrapped in a thin cloth) to the bridge of the nose can help constrict blood vessels and reduce bleeding.

Citations

Fatakia, A., Winters, R., & Amedee, R. G. (n.d.). Epistaxis: a common problem. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3096213/

Nosebleeds. (2024, September 16). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/nosebleeds-causes-and-treatments

Tai, J., Han, M., Lee, D., Park, I., Lee, S. H., & Kim, T. H. (2022). Different methods and formulations of drugs and vaccines for nasal administration. Pharmaceutics, 14(5), 1073. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14051073

Tunkel, D. E., Anne, S., Payne, S. C., Ishman, S. L., Rosenfeld, R. M., Abramson, P. J., Alikhaani, J. D., Benoit, M. M., Bercovitz, R. S., Brown, M. D., Chernobilsky, B., Feldstein, D. A., Hackell, J. M., Holbrook, E. H., Holdsworth, S. M., Lin, K. W., Lind, M. M., Poetker, D. M., Riley, C. A., . . . Monjur, T. M. (2020). Clinical practice guideline: Nosebleed (Epistaxis). Otolaryngology, 162(S1). https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599819890327

Recht, M., Chitlur, M., Lam, D., Sarnaik, S., Rajpurkar, M., Cooper, D. L., & Gunawardena, S. (2017). Epistaxis as a common presenting symptom of Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia, a rare qualitative platelet disorder: illustrative case examples. Case Reports in Emergency Medicine, 2017, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/8796425