One sunny afternoon during the summer season, when I was in school playing basketball on the playground, I suddenly realized blood gushing out from my nose. I was completely in shock as there had been no accident, no injury, then why the hell was blood oozing out? But thanks to my coach who calmed me down, took care of my situation and informed me that it was nothing but a mere case of nose bleeding.
That was my first experience when I acknowledged nose bleeding. Nose bleeding is a common scenario, but of course it can be scary and frightening when suddenly red crimson blood starts flushing out from your nose, right? Well, don’t panic! You can stop nasal bleeding without soaking the complete tissue with the river of life. So, let’s find out what exactly is nose bleeding, what causes your nose to bleed and how to stop nose bleeding?
What is Nose Bleeding?
Epistaxis is the medical term for nose bleeds. Nose bleeding is nothing but flowing of blood from the nose or nasal passage. It’s not a serious disease and can be taken care at home.
Types of Nose Bleeds
There are two types
Anterior – In this, bleeding starts at the front part of the nose. It is the most common type.
Posterior – In this, bleeding starts deep within the nose. It is less common and requires medical treatment.
Causes for Nose Bleeding
Following are some of the reasons:
Frequent or forcefully blowing your nose
Picking the inside lining of the nose
Occurs due to nasal tissue damages
Prolonged exposure to warm or dry air
Nasal or sinus infections
Allergic
Tumor formation
Hypertension
Nasal surgery
Exposure to irritating chemicals
Perforated nasal septum
Over heat
Using blood thinner medicines like warfarin
Age (Older people and younger children often suffer from epistaxis)
The most common trigger is drying of the nasal members
How to Stop Nose Bleeding?
Stay calm and take care of your bleeding nose by following these five simple steps. These five steps form the first aid for nose bleeding:
Hold a tissue to your nose
Sit in a comfortable position
Pinch your nostrils
Apply cold compressor
If still the flow is not controlled, immediately call your doctor.
First, sit down in an upright position and slightly tilt your head forward, this position will help you keep blood down back to your throat. Pinch the soft part of your nose firmly for ten minutes, breathe through your mouth.
You may place cold compressor on the nose; it narrows the blood vessels in the nose to slow down the blood flow. After ten minutes, release the nostrils slowly and check once. If the blood continues to flow, apply more pressure for another 10 minutes.
If your nose is still bleeding steadily even after twenty minutes of pressure, call for medical help.
Home Remedies for Nose Bleeding
1.Vinegar-Blue Brine
Take a cotton ball, dip it in white vinegar and keep it in the nostril. It will seal up the blood vessel wall.
2. Zinc
Eat zinc foods like whole-wheat bread and brown rice, two foods high in zinc. Or, for a snack, try some popcorn, which also contains zinc.
3. Use an Ice Pack
You already know, ice is a good solution to stop bleeding; it constricts the blood vessels, and reduce inflammation. Place crushed iced into a plastic zipper-type bag and cover with a towel and place it on bleeding nose.
4. Vitamin K
Eat vitamin K rich foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, because vitamin k is essential for clotting blood.
5. Daily Drink Orange Juice
Vitamin C is necessary to the formation of collagen, which helps create a moist lining in your nose. So drink and eat vitamin C-rich foods to help stave off nose bleeds.
6. Keep Yourself Hydrate
Daily drink at least eight glasses of water, because dry winter air and heat can sometimes dry out your nose.
So, always keep yourself hydrated.
7. Steam Up Your Nose
Boil half bucket water, place a towel over you, and breathe gently for twice a day.
These are the safe and effective natural treatments for nose bleeding.
So I hope now you got to know how to stop nose bleeding effectively.
How frequently do you suffer from nose bleeding and how do you take care of it? Please share with us in the comments below, it will help us and other readers.
