Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBleeding Won’t StopBleeding Is HeavySevere TraumaHigh Blood PressureYou Taste BloodBleeds Are FrequentYou Have Other Serious SymptomsWhat Not to DoMedical TreatmentPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Bleeding Won’t Stop
Bleeding Is Heavy
Severe Trauma
High Blood Pressure
You Taste Blood
Bleeds Are Frequent
You Have Other Serious Symptoms
What Not to Do
Medical Treatment
Prevention
Usually, you do not need to worry about a nosebleed (epistaxis). Mostnosebleedsstop after a few minutes with at-home care, like pinching your nose and leaning forward. A nosebleed can be a serious condition if you can’t stop the bleeding within 30 minutes, lose a cup or more of blood, or have other symptoms like trouble breathing or vomiting.
Getting care when you need it can prevent the consequences of blood loss, as well as help you get a diagnosis or treatment for a potential underlying health condition. See a healthcare provider if you have nosebleed with a sudden and serious injury, or if frequent nosebleeds continue to occur.
Your Nose Bleeds Nonstop for 30 Minutes
Most healthy people should be able tostop a bloody noseat home in 30 minutes or less.Try leaning slightly forward and gently pinching your nostrils together. This helps the blood clot. It may take longer if you have a bleeding disorder.
If you have a condition likehemophilia, which causes problems with blood clotting, talk to your healthcare provider. If you are on blood-thinning medications, you should also seek medical help.
You Are Losing Too Much Blood
Excessive blood loss can make a bloody nose an emergency but it also can be hard to judge how much blood you’ve lost. A few tablespoons can look like a lot. If you are gushing blood, call 911.
If pinching does not stop the dripping, use a container to catch the blood. A measuring cup is ideal because it will help you and a medical professional know how much blood you’ve lost. If you lose about a cup of blood, you need to get immediate medical attention.
Blood loss is most concerning if you have a history of blood diseases, such as hemophilia, or a disorder that leads toanemia.When you are anemic, you don’t have enough red blood cells to deliver oxygen to your tissues.
Prolonged nosebleeds are also a concern if you are taking medications that thin the blood, such asWarfarin(coumadin).
Trauma, especially a blow to the head, can make a bloody nose an emergency.
Minor bumps or falls that cause a bloody nose are probably not serious. Major incidents like falling down stairs, sports accidents, and fights can cause a bloody nose that becomes a medical emergency.
A severe injury to the nose may swell and make breathing difficult. You may have a broken nose, aconcussion(brain injury), or a spinal cord injury. It is always best to seek emergency medical care after a major accident.
You Have High Blood Pressure
If you get a nosebleed and you have a history of high blood pressure, contact your healthcare provider. This is especially important if you also have symptoms of hypertensive crisis (extremely high blood pressure) or stroke, such as:
You Can Taste Blood
Bloody noses towards the front of the nose are usually less severe. These bleeds can usually be stopped with pressure.
Seek emergency care at once if you have this type of nosebleed.
You Have More Than One Nosebleed a Week
If your nosebleeds happen more than once a week, see a healthcare provider. Recurring nosebleeds can be a sign of something more serious, including high blood pressure or a clotting disorder. They also can occur due to:
If you have a nosebleed that will not stop within 30 minutes, you can taste blood, or you have lost a cup of blood or more, then go to the emergency room.
You should also go to the ER if you are having other symptoms in addition to a nosebleed, such as:
Rapid blood loss can lead to serious and potentially life-threatening consequences.
Dos and Don’ts for Treating Nosebleeds
When you have a nosebleed, remain calm. Lean forward and spit out any blood in your mouth. If you have a nasal spray available, put three sprays into the nostril side that’s bleeding. Then do the following:
When you have a nosebleed, you should not:
Medical Treatment for Nosebleeds
A healthcare provider has several options for treating a nosebleed that hasn’t resolved with at-home care. Applying pressure or cold packs to the nostrils, as well as using Afrin (oxymetazoline), can stop between 65% and 75% of nosebleeds treated in the ER.
Nasal packing, a first-line intervention to stop severe bleeding, but newer materials like gelatin sponges or coated balloon catheters may be more effective and cause fewer complications.
Other treatments include electrical forms of cauterization (directly applied to tissue to stop bleeding), with research suggesting it is more effective than chemical cauterization. It also may prove more effective than ligation procedures to tie off small arteries that are bleeding.
Embolization may be necessary if no other interventions work. This is a surgical intervention that can take one to two hours to complete.While typically successful, complications can occur.
Once your nose bleeding is controlled, your healthcare provider may need to address an underlying cause. This can include adjusting a dose of blood thinners, or prescribing a drug to promote clotting or control high blood pressure.
There are steps you can take to prevent nosebleeds, such as avoiding dry air. It’s the most common cause of nosebleeds, typically in climates with indoor heat in winter and cold, dry air outside.
Other causes can include dehydration, or seasonal andenvironmental allergies. Steps you can take to avoid nosebleeds also include:
Summary
Bloody noses are usually not serious. Most can be stopped if you lean forward and gently pinch your nostrils.
In some cases, a bloody nose can be an emergency. If your nose bleeds for longer than 30 minutes or you lose a cup of blood or more, get emergency help. You should also seek emergency care if you were in a serious accident, have high blood pressure, or can taste blood.
17 Sources
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