Best Way to Stop a Nosebleed in the Comfort of Your Home

Nosebleeds can be annoying, especially when they start gushing out of the blue. What seems like a runny nose ends up being a red mess. But they can also be quite scary. Though many stop on their own, sometimes they’re persistent and determined to keep running like a faucet. This article will explain why nosebleeds occur, when you should seek medical care, and ways you can stop the bleeding in the comfort of your home. Generally there is nothing to be afraid of when you’re prepared.

Why do noses bleed?

The nose is a highly vascular structure with a great blood flow. Just think of all of the amazing things your nose does for your body. It allows us a sense of smell, moistens the air that we breathe into our lungs, and provides an extensive defense system against different bacteria and viruses trying to get into our body.

But because of the extra blood needed for these functions, it is also a common place to bleed. Bleeds can occur for many reasons. The most common location is towards the front part of the nose in the middle between the nostrils, called the septum. Here there is a bed of veins known as Kiesselbach’s Plexus that are notorious for bleeding. Picking at this region, a sore in this area, or simply a dry nose can cause these veins to open up, Thus, you end up with the most common type of nosebleed.

A more dangerous type of nosebleed occurs in the back of the nose known as a posterior nosebleed. This is fairly uncommon but when present can be dangerous.  Generally if the techniques I will discuss below stop your nosebleed, a posterior bleed is very unlikely.

First step to stop your nosebleed at home

There are many myths associated with nosebleeds. As a child growing up in a non-medical family, I had the opportunity to see these myths in action. As soon as my nose would start to bleed as a child, I was told to put my head back and squeeze the very top of my nose between my eyes. Though my nosebleed would eventually stop, which is true of most nosebleeds, this technique does not work and has the potential to cause problems as the blood goes straight down the throat and could end up in the lungs.

A better approach is to bend the neck forward and point the nose down. Then squeeze the nostrils tightly shut together. It is well known that hard pressure stops bleeding. This technique puts pressure on the source of bleeding, the front part of the nose at Kiesselbach’s plexus, and prevents blood from travelling down the throat and into the lungs.

It is important to note that you have to squeeze the nose hard and continuously for about 15 minutes, without letting up. As soon as you stop for even a moment, the area can begin to bleed again and you’re back to square one. So hold that pressure and time yourself. If your nose continues to bleed even while holding pressure, and you feel blood dripping or pooling in the back of the throat, then you could have a posterior bleed and you should call 911 or go to the ER immediately to be evaluated.

What if the nosebleed does not stop after you release pressure?

Now let’s say you follow the advice above and your bleeding stops while squeezing your nostrils together, but as soon as you stop squeezing, your nose starts bleeding again. Do not fret. There is another step that can stop the bleeding a majority of the time.

This step does require having an over the counter nasal spray, either Afrin or neosynephrine. If you don’t have either of these medications, send a friend or family member to the store to pick it up while you continue to squeeze your nose. These medications work by constricting your blood vessels, making them smaller in caliber. This is why the medications work so well to clear your congestion. They are also excellent for stopping a bleeding vein in the nose.

Once you have one of these nasal sprays, grab a cotton ball and unravel it until it looks like a white worm. To do this, push your finger into the center of the cotton ball, push through to find the end of the cotton, and unravel the rest around that end. Take the Afrin or neosynephrine and spray it all over the cotton ball.

Take the soaked cotton ball and place it in the nostril that is bleeding, being careful to leave enough near the opening so you can pull it out when you’re finished with it. Now squeeze your nostrils together, with the cotton ball in the nostril that is bleeding, following the instructions above for another 15 minutes.

Once 15 minutes has elapsed, release the pressure and see if the bleeding has stopped. Hopefully it has. Now pull out the cotton ball and blow your nose, both nostrils and each one individually. If you are like many of my patients, you might have a very large blood clot come out of your nose. Don’t fret. Though this is not a pleasant sight, it is completely normal.

Hopefully your nosebleed has stopped now. In my experience this technique works a majority of the time and can prevent you from requiring a visit to the ER. However, if the bleeding is continuing significantly even after trying the technique above, I recommend you go to an ER to be checked out.

When might it be necessary to go directly to the ER for evaluation?

If you are on blood thinning medication such as Coumadin (Warfarin), Eliquis, Xarelto, Pradaxa, or Plavix, you can try the technique above but the bleeding may not stop on its own because the blood is too thin to clot. Holding pressure for longer can sometimes help to stop the bleeding. However, many patients on these medications end up needing nasal packing to apply constant pressure for 24-48 hours before the bleeding will resolve. This is accomplished in the ER.

Nosebleeds plus bleeding in other parts of the body or bruising that appears for no particular reason could be concerning for a platelet disorder, which can also cause the blood to be thin and prevent clotting. Other sites of bleeding can be the gums (especially with brushing teeth), urine, or in the stool. Bruising without a reason can be concerning. Other rashes can also develop that can look like red dots, usually along the legs, or big purple patches. These can be concerning and should prompt you to seek evaluation in the ER.

Finally, as I mentioned above, nosebleeds that do not resolve after the technique described or that continue even while applying pressure to the nostrils can be concerning and you should seek care immediately.

Conclusion

Nosebleeds can be frustrating and messy. But using pressure and over the counter nasal spray can stop your nosebleed in its tracks and prevent a trip to the ER. As always, if you are concerned that your nosebleed is more dangerous, you should call 911 or go to the nearest ER to be seen by a professional.

Do you use any other methods to stop your nosebleed? Please comment below.