A full on nosebleed is an impressive thing. People carry a surprising amount of blood in their head and all it takes is for one good nosebleed to make them realize this. Even though the amount of blood seems copious, most nosebleeds aren't life threatening. However, if other remedies don't seem to work, the patient should hurry to their doctor or an emergency room. They should do this especially if they're bleeding from the back of the nose and swallowing blood. Posterior nosebleeds have to be packed through the mouth and it takes a medical professional to do this. Also, elderly people who have atherosclerosis shouldn't wait more than 10 minutes into a nosebleed before they see a doctor.
But here are five tips to staunch the average nosebleed.
1. Blow the blood clots out of the nose
This seems counterintuitive, but a good strong blow will work, along with applying some pressure.
2. Plug the bleeding with wet cotton.
Wet the cotton with vinegar. The acid in the vinegar cauterizes the blood vessels, though gently. What some boxing trainers used to do in the one minute between rounds that they needed to stop the bleeding was soak a cotton wick in epinephrine and plug it into the nostril. If both nostrils were bleeding, two wicks soaked in epinephrine went in and the boxer was told to breathe through his mouth while the trainer pinched the flesh in the middle of the nose.
3. Plug the bleeding with plain gauze.
The gauze should also be wet with vinegar.
4. Pinch the fleshy part of the nose.
After the nose has been blown and packed with cotton or gauze, the thumb and forefinger should be used to pinch the soft part of the nose shut. The patient should apply pressure for five to seven minutes. If this doesn't stop the bleeding, they can pack in fresh cotton or gauze and pinch the nose for another five to seven minutes. This should stop the bleeding. The cotton or gauze should then be left in the nose for about 20 extra minutes.
5. Sit up straight and put on an ice pack.
If the patient lies down or puts their head back they're only going to swallow blood. An ice pack on the nose makes the blood vessels constrict and does much to stop the bleeding.
How to Prevent in the Future
After the nosebleed stops, the patient should refrain from picking at the scab. They can also apply a dab of an antibiotic ointment to the inside of their nose a couple of times a day to kill any bacteria. If the person is prone to nosebleeds they should also take iron supplements to make up for the loss of iron that comes with frequent nosebleeds. They should consult with their physician about this, though.
The patient should also watch their intake of aspirin and all blood thinning drugs. They should cut down on foods that are high in salicylates, like almonds, berries, mint, cherries, grapes, raisins, bell peppers, peaches, plumbs, tomatoes and cucumbers.
But here are five tips to staunch the average nosebleed.
1. Blow the blood clots out of the nose
This seems counterintuitive, but a good strong blow will work, along with applying some pressure.
2. Plug the bleeding with wet cotton.
Wet the cotton with vinegar. The acid in the vinegar cauterizes the blood vessels, though gently. What some boxing trainers used to do in the one minute between rounds that they needed to stop the bleeding was soak a cotton wick in epinephrine and plug it into the nostril. If both nostrils were bleeding, two wicks soaked in epinephrine went in and the boxer was told to breathe through his mouth while the trainer pinched the flesh in the middle of the nose.
3. Plug the bleeding with plain gauze.
The gauze should also be wet with vinegar.
4. Pinch the fleshy part of the nose.
After the nose has been blown and packed with cotton or gauze, the thumb and forefinger should be used to pinch the soft part of the nose shut. The patient should apply pressure for five to seven minutes. If this doesn't stop the bleeding, they can pack in fresh cotton or gauze and pinch the nose for another five to seven minutes. This should stop the bleeding. The cotton or gauze should then be left in the nose for about 20 extra minutes.
5. Sit up straight and put on an ice pack.
If the patient lies down or puts their head back they're only going to swallow blood. An ice pack on the nose makes the blood vessels constrict and does much to stop the bleeding.
How to Prevent in the Future
After the nosebleed stops, the patient should refrain from picking at the scab. They can also apply a dab of an antibiotic ointment to the inside of their nose a couple of times a day to kill any bacteria. If the person is prone to nosebleeds they should also take iron supplements to make up for the loss of iron that comes with frequent nosebleeds. They should consult with their physician about this, though.
The patient should also watch their intake of aspirin and all blood thinning drugs. They should cut down on foods that are high in salicylates, like almonds, berries, mint, cherries, grapes, raisins, bell peppers, peaches, plumbs, tomatoes and cucumbers.
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