Bloody Nose Treatment

A bloody nose is a medical problem, in which blood drains from one or both the nostrils. In medical terms, a bloody nose condition is referred to as epistaxis. It may affect people of all age groups, though children are often at a higher risk of experiencing a bloody nose situation. Even though nosebleeds are rarely serious, bloody nose treatment is crucial for those who have an underlying health condition related to blood clotting problems.

What Causes a Bloody Nose?

Nosebleeds are experienced frequently because the nose is a highly vascular area, and many veins and arteries are located in the inner lining of the nose. There are no specific reasons for triggering a bloody nose condition. Even hard blowing of the nose can be a leading cause for nosebleeds in many people. Hence, any injury or damage to these blood vessels can lead to drainage of blood from the nose. Probable causes of nose bleeding are allergies, dry nasal membranes, nose picking, infection in the nasal lining and sudden blow or trauma to the nose and face. Read more on .

How to Treat a Bloody Nose

For people who are prone to having frequent nosebleeds, 'what to do for a bloody nose' may be a question in their mind. Like any bleeding problem, a quick blood clotting is what is necessary to treat the condition. No doubt, profuse bleeding from the nose is quite a scary situation, but it is very important to keep the patient calm and relaxed during a bloody nose episode. Otherwise, there is of experiencing an elevated blood pressure and its associated complications. For every individual, understanding first aid tips to stop a bloody nose will help in handling the situation effectively without creating a mess out of it.

How to Stop a Bloody Nose

A bloody nose wherein injury is located in the anterior or front part of the nose is mild; whereas those related to injury in the back or posterior part of the nose is serious. Simple ways to stop an anterior bloody nose are as follows:

• First use a tissue and soak the drained blood from below the nostrils. You can introduce a soft tissue paper in the affected nostril to soak further blood drainage.
• To help soothe pain and hasten blood clotting, the patient should breathe through the mouth, not from the nose.
• Incline the head in the forward direction to prevent airway blockage and at the same time, to reduce the feeling of nausea.
• In order to hasten blood clotting, pinch the soft nose part and continue to press gently for about 5-10 minutes.
• In case, bleeding from nose takes place after removal of pressure, continue to hold the nose for another 10 minutes to stop a bloody nose condition.

A word of caution regarding bloody nose treatment is to avoid back tilting of the head, which according to some, helps in curing nosebleeds. In spite of treating a bloody nose, siting in such a position (with the head titling back) or lying down can cause swallowing of blood, which in turn leads to nausea, vomiting and stomach irritation. Also, the patient should not indulge in nose blowing within a few hours after the bloody nose episode.

For patients with prolonged nosebleeds, topical application of the affected nose with a vasoconstrictive agent may help stop a bloody nose. In maximum cases, bloody nose treatment by following the above mentioned steps and over-the-counter medicines are effective and sufficient. Only a very few patients with frequent nosebleeds may require therapeutic treatment by a doctor to live a problem free life.