Nose Bleeds

What causes nosebleeds?

The nasal septum is the structure inside the nose, which acts as a partition and divides the nasal cavity in to two. Nosebleeds more commonly arise from the nasal septum. At the front end of the nasal septum the blood vessels tend to be more prominent and fragile, and can rupture for no apparent reason. Less commonly bleeding may occur further back in the nose.
Nosebleeds are more likely to occur if there is any trauma to the nose, be it a blow to the nose or nosepicking. In most cases there is no specific cause, but rarely there may be an underlying problem which needs to be addressed.

How can I stop a nosebleed?

In most cases nosebleeds are shortlasting and easy to control. The following steps will help control the nosebleeds:

a. Sit forward with the mouth open and pinch the hard the soft fleshy part of the nose, such that you are putting pressure on the septum (the structure inside the nose which acts as a partition between the two sides. There is no pint in pinching the bony upper part of the nose.
b. Sit forward with the mouth open, and spit out any blood. Do not tip your head back, and avoid swallowing the blood. Swallowed blood will cause irritation of the stomach lining.
c. Apply an ice pack over the bony bridge of the nose, or suck an ice cube. The ice helps to narrow the blood vessels and reduce the bleeding.
d. If the bleeding is severe, persistent or recurrent then seek medical help.

Once the nosebleed has stopped then avoid the following for a few days:
a. Hot and spicy drinks and food.
b. Blowing or picking the nose
c. Heavy lifting, or straining, or any vigorous activity.

What if the nose bleed continues, or keeps stopping and starting?

You should seek medical help if the nose bleed is persistent, recurrent or severe.

The specialist will stop the bleeding by using one of the following measures:
1. Cautery (sealing) the bleeding point usually after applying local anaesthetic to the nose. This is usually well tolerated by all, including young children.
2. Packing of the nose may become necessary if the bleeding is severe.
3. Less commonly, if the bleeding is not controlled by the above measures endoscopic surgery is required to isolate and stop the bleeding vessels.