Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSteps to TakeWhy They Don’t StopBlood ThinnersPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Steps to Take
Why They Don’t Stop
Blood Thinners
Prevention
You can take steps to stop anosebleedthat occurs at home or in public. Nosebleeds are common. Up to 60 million people in the United States experience nosebleeds each year.
To help stop a nosebleed, sit down and lightly squeeze the nostrils below the bony ridge of your nose between your thumb and forefinger for about 15 minutes. Lean slightly forward so the blood doesn’t run down your throat, which can cause an upset stomach.
Most nosebleeds stop on their own, but some people may need additional medical evaluation and treatment. If your nosebleed doesn’t stop bleeding after 30 minutes, the bleeding is thick and heavy, or you are experiencing other symptoms like light-headedness or rapid heartbeat, go to the emergency room immediately.
If you find that your nose bleeds regularly take a long time to stop or you experience recurrent nosebleeds, make an appointment to see a healthcare provider.
This article will describe ways to stop a nosebleed and explore various reasons nosebleeds may continue or recur.
How to Stop a Nosebleed Multiple Ways
Pinching the nose shut correctly is the primary first aid for a nosebleed.Additional tactics may also be useful.
Pinch Nostrils With Head Tilted Slightly Forward
Take these steps:
If you’re dealing with a child’s nosebleed, have them take some deep breaths to calm down. Make sure the child is sitting up straight and has their head tilted forward a little so they’re not swallowing any blood.
How Not to Stop a NosebleedSome tactics are ineffective or detrimental when you have a nosebleed. Here is advice to follow:Don’t stick anything up the nose (such as a tampon, gauze, or a tissue) to try to pack it or absorb the blood. This can cause more bleeding and injury to the nose.Don’t tilt your head backward, as you then will have blood going down the back of your throat to your stomach; this may produce nausea.Don’t pinch the bony bridge of your nose. Instead, pinch below the bridge to close the nostrils.Don’t blow your nose to clear out the blood.Don’t place a penny on the forehead or nose, as this has not been proven to have any effect.
How Not to Stop a Nosebleed
Some tactics are ineffective or detrimental when you have a nosebleed. Here is advice to follow:Don’t stick anything up the nose (such as a tampon, gauze, or a tissue) to try to pack it or absorb the blood. This can cause more bleeding and injury to the nose.Don’t tilt your head backward, as you then will have blood going down the back of your throat to your stomach; this may produce nausea.Don’t pinch the bony bridge of your nose. Instead, pinch below the bridge to close the nostrils.Don’t blow your nose to clear out the blood.Don’t place a penny on the forehead or nose, as this has not been proven to have any effect.
Some tactics are ineffective or detrimental when you have a nosebleed. Here is advice to follow:
With Ice
Ice alone will not stop a nosebleed, but if the bleeding hasn’t stopped after 15 minutes or so, try placing an ice pack on the bridge of your nose while pinching the nose as described previously.Another place to apply ice is on the back of the neck.
Cold can help constrict blood vessels, which may help slow or stop the bleeding. While there is no official consensus on ice packs for nosebleeds, some people have found it helpful.
With Decongestant Nasal Spray
Decongestants can be sprayed in the nostril where the bleeding is occurring before you pinch the nose shut.Over-the-counter (OTC) nasal sprays with oxymetazoline, such as Afrin, can help constrict the blood vessels.
If you have frequent nosebleeds, a healthcare provider may recommend topical tranexamic acid for a nosebleed.
If the Nosebleed Doesn’t StopIf your nosebleed is still heavy after 15 to 20 minutes of pinching the nose, see a healthcare provider, such as at an urgent care clinic.If you are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or short of breath, call 911 or go to the emergency room.
If the Nosebleed Doesn’t Stop
If your nosebleed is still heavy after 15 to 20 minutes of pinching the nose, see a healthcare provider, such as at an urgent care clinic.If you are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or short of breath, call 911 or go to the emergency room.
If your nosebleed is still heavy after 15 to 20 minutes of pinching the nose, see a healthcare provider, such as at an urgent care clinic.
If you are feeling dizzy, light-headed, or short of breath, call 911 or go to the emergency room.
Reasons Nosebleeds Don’t Stop
Most nosebleeds are minor and start in the front of the nose or the nasal septum (the structure of bone and cartilage that separates the right and left nostrils). These are called anterior nosebleeds.
Conditions that can cause nosebleeds that won’t stop include:
Nosebleeds and Blood Thinners
Blood thinners, also known asanticoagulant medication, are used to treat and prevent blood clots. People who are on anticoagulant therapy are at higher risk for bleeding in general, including nosebleeds.
Nosebleeds are one of the more common side effects of anticoagulant medications.Jantoven (warfarin)has been associated with a higher rate of nosebleeds than other anticoagulants.
If you are on anticoagulant therapy and getting nosebleeds, tell your provider. Don’t stop taking them without first talking with your treatment team.
Suggestions for People With Frequent Nosebleeds
If there is no underlying condition causing your nosebleeds, there are still ways you can help reduce the risk of frequent nosebleeds, including:
Even if your nosebleeds become less frequent, it’s always worth being prepared. Make sure you always have a small pack of tissues with you for any surprises.
Summary
Nosebleeds are a fact of life, but they can be annoying, especially if they recur or if they don’t stop easily. To stop a nosebleed, the classic suggestion is to sit up straight, tilting the head slightly forward (not back), and pinch together nostrils with your thumb and finger just below the bony part of the nose until it stops.
Most nosebleeds will stop within 15 minutes or so. However, certain underlying medical conditions, lifestyle behaviors, or medications may increase the risks of severe nosebleeds that are more challenging to stop.
If bleeding continues and doesn’t lessen, seek medical care. Go to the emergency room if you are dizzy, light-headed, or short of breath.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Yale Medicine.Nosebleeds (epistaxis).Smith J, Hanson J, Chowdhury R, Bungard TJ.Community-based management of epistaxis: Who bloody knows?Can Pharm J (Ott). 2019;152(3):164-176. doi:10.1177/1715163519840380Beck R, Sorge M, Schneider A, Dietz A.Current approaches to epistaxis treatment in primary and secondary care.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2018;115(1-02):12-22. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2018.0012Harvard Health Publishing.Nosebleed (epistaxis).Mount Sinai.Nosebleed.Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Nosebleeds: when it’s time to get medical attention.American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, ENT Health.Nosebleeds.Ho JPK, Bari N, Riffat F.Management of epistaxis in patients on novel oral anticoagulation therapy.The Journal of Laryngology & Otology. 2020;134(4):316-322. doi:10.1017/S0022215120000754Ingason AB, Rumba E, Hreinsson JP, et al.Warfarin is associated with higher rates of epistaxis compared to direct oral anticoagulants: a nationwide propensity score-weighted study.Journal of Internal Medicine. 2022;292(3):501-511. doi:10.1111/joim.13498Northwestern Medicine.Frequent nosebleed treatments.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Yale Medicine.Nosebleeds (epistaxis).Smith J, Hanson J, Chowdhury R, Bungard TJ.Community-based management of epistaxis: Who bloody knows?Can Pharm J (Ott). 2019;152(3):164-176. doi:10.1177/1715163519840380Beck R, Sorge M, Schneider A, Dietz A.Current approaches to epistaxis treatment in primary and secondary care.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2018;115(1-02):12-22. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2018.0012Harvard Health Publishing.Nosebleed (epistaxis).Mount Sinai.Nosebleed.Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Nosebleeds: when it’s time to get medical attention.American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, ENT Health.Nosebleeds.Ho JPK, Bari N, Riffat F.Management of epistaxis in patients on novel oral anticoagulation therapy.The Journal of Laryngology & Otology. 2020;134(4):316-322. doi:10.1017/S0022215120000754Ingason AB, Rumba E, Hreinsson JP, et al.Warfarin is associated with higher rates of epistaxis compared to direct oral anticoagulants: a nationwide propensity score-weighted study.Journal of Internal Medicine. 2022;292(3):501-511. doi:10.1111/joim.13498Northwestern Medicine.Frequent nosebleed treatments.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Yale Medicine.Nosebleeds (epistaxis).Smith J, Hanson J, Chowdhury R, Bungard TJ.Community-based management of epistaxis: Who bloody knows?Can Pharm J (Ott). 2019;152(3):164-176. doi:10.1177/1715163519840380Beck R, Sorge M, Schneider A, Dietz A.Current approaches to epistaxis treatment in primary and secondary care.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2018;115(1-02):12-22. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2018.0012Harvard Health Publishing.Nosebleed (epistaxis).Mount Sinai.Nosebleed.Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Nosebleeds: when it’s time to get medical attention.American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, ENT Health.Nosebleeds.Ho JPK, Bari N, Riffat F.Management of epistaxis in patients on novel oral anticoagulation therapy.The Journal of Laryngology & Otology. 2020;134(4):316-322. doi:10.1017/S0022215120000754Ingason AB, Rumba E, Hreinsson JP, et al.Warfarin is associated with higher rates of epistaxis compared to direct oral anticoagulants: a nationwide propensity score-weighted study.Journal of Internal Medicine. 2022;292(3):501-511. doi:10.1111/joim.13498Northwestern Medicine.Frequent nosebleed treatments.
Yale Medicine.Nosebleeds (epistaxis).
Smith J, Hanson J, Chowdhury R, Bungard TJ.Community-based management of epistaxis: Who bloody knows?Can Pharm J (Ott). 2019;152(3):164-176. doi:10.1177/1715163519840380
Beck R, Sorge M, Schneider A, Dietz A.Current approaches to epistaxis treatment in primary and secondary care.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2018;115(1-02):12-22. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2018.0012
Harvard Health Publishing.Nosebleed (epistaxis).
Mount Sinai.Nosebleed.
Columbia University Irving Medical Center.Nosebleeds: when it’s time to get medical attention.
American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, ENT Health.Nosebleeds.
Ho JPK, Bari N, Riffat F.Management of epistaxis in patients on novel oral anticoagulation therapy.The Journal of Laryngology & Otology. 2020;134(4):316-322. doi:10.1017/S0022215120000754
Ingason AB, Rumba E, Hreinsson JP, et al.Warfarin is associated with higher rates of epistaxis compared to direct oral anticoagulants: a nationwide propensity score-weighted study.Journal of Internal Medicine. 2022;292(3):501-511. doi:10.1111/joim.13498
Northwestern Medicine.Frequent nosebleed treatments.
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