A nosebleed also known as Epistaxis is a very common ailment, usually caused by a damaged blood vessel that leaks blood. Nosebleeds can affect all ages, but they are more common in children as compared to adults.
If you are prone to nose bleeds, a few environmental symptoms could be causing them, such as low humidity levels, high altitudes, or excessive heat. Beside from environmental conditions, nosebleeds can be caused by colds and allergies, chronic sinusitis, hypertension, vitamin K deficiencies, medications (especially aspirin and blood thinners), or picking the nose.
In younger people, nosebleeds occur when blood vessels at the front of the septum rupture. Trauma or injury to the nose is also the common causes of nosebleeds. Other causes are nasal or sinus infection, excessive nose blowing, bleeding or clotting problem, tumor, dry mucous membranes in the nose, the use of topical nasal steroid medicines, or cocaine use.
The first step to prevent nosebleeds is to check the environment of your home and office. Check the humidity in the rooms where you normally stay, and if it is very low, raise it a bit. In addition, using heaters in the home produce a very dry heat, which can trigger nosebleeds. Keep the heat down.
Keep nostrils moist. Take a shower and breathe deeply to inhale the moisture into your nose. Then put petroleum jelly or a saline nasal spray to keep it moist. Limit blood thinners. Aspirin, heparin, ginger, ginseng and garlic should be avoided if you are prone to nose bleeds.
You should avoid excessive nose blowing, picking the nose, trauma and cocaine use to help prevent a nosebleed. Get treatment for underlying causes such as high blood pressure. Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air. Limit the use of topical nasal steroids or nose sprays.
Eat green leafy vegetables in good amount. Green leafy vegetables are a source of vitamin K, which is needed in trace amounts to help blood to clot. Avoid fried and spicy foods, and foods that you may be potentially allergic to, such as milk, and wheat based products.
Include plenty of fruits in your daily diet to help prevent nosebleeds. Citrus fruits in particular contain bioflavonoid, which can help thicken the blood and preventing the nose from bleeding. Bioflavonoid help strengthen the blood vessels which makes them less likely to rupture.
Avoid foods that have high salicylates. Fruits that contain high salicylates are apricot, blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, boysenberry, cherry, cranberry, currant, date, grape, guava, loganberry, orange, pineapple, plum, prune, raisin (dried), raspberry, strawberry and many more.
1. When your nose bleed, sit down and remain calm. Keep your head elevated and just relax until the bleeding stops.
2. Keep calm and breathe slowly through the mouth.
3. Sit and keep your head elevated, but gently pinch the sides of the nostrils together with the thumb and index finger and hold for a few moments until the bleeding stops.
4. Apply cold compresses to the nose to help reduce swelling and slow down bleeding.
Once your nose stops bleeding, do not rub, sneeze or pick it, as such activities can easily get it bleeding again, even a day or two later while it heals. After you have had a nosebleed, often the inside of the nose will feel crusty, this is clots and scabs forming. Do not blow the nose hard or pick at it for at least 24 hours or you risk getting it bleeding again.
In case of severe nose bleeding that lasts more than 15 minutes after changing the position and applying direct pressure and cool compresses, you should consult your doctor. You should also contact your doctor if the nosebleed is the result of an injury, or if you have blood running down from both nostrils.
1. Take a teaspoonful (two for adults) of vinegar in a glass of water three times a day, with or without meals. This is a good home remedy for nosebleeds for both children and adults who get frequent nosebleeds where no injury is present. Alternatively, a cotton swab dipped in white vinegar, placed in your nose helps in reducing the flow of blood.
2. Apply a few drops of castor oil, vitamin E or zinc oxide in your nose each day to prevent recurring nosebleeds.
3. Use an ice pack on the nose. Cold causes blood vessels to constrict, reducing blood flow, swelling and inflammation. An ice pack or cold compress on the back of the neck is another useful home remedy for nosebleed. Pressure on the back of the neck restricts flow of blood to the head.
4. After your nosebleed stops, use a cotton swab to apply an antibiotic ointment to the inside of your nose. This will kill bacteria and keep it moist. Reapply several times, especially before bedtime, for several days.
5. To stop bleeding, smell the fumes of freshly cut onion (pyaz) a number of times. The fumes act as a natural thickening agent, which stops the bleeding within few seconds.
6. Put 3-4 drops of freshly prepared Indian Gooseberry (amla) juice into the nostrils. This is an effective home remedies for nose bleeding.
7. Inhale the juice of fresh pomegranate (anar) flowers or leaves, or use as a nasal drops. Put approx. 2 drops of the juice in each nostril twice or thrice a day. It will relieve the problem.
8. A small piece of camphor (kapur), dissolved in the juice of green coriander (dhania) leaves, and dropped into the nostrils helps in preventing bleeding.
9. Powder of alum (fitkari) mixed with ghee can also be used as nasal drops to relieve the symptoms. This is another simple and effective home remedy for nose bleeding.
10. Do not pick your nose when it is bleeding. Otherwise, it will take 8-10 days for the rupture in the blood vessel to heal completely.
11. Apple cider vinegar is beneficial in getting a nosebleed to stop. It safeguards the body from loss of blood. Soak a small cotton ball in the vinegar and pack it lightly into the nostril. The vinegar will help the blood to congeal.
12. Pound 8 to 10 leaves of Indian Rosewood (sheesham), add 1 tsp sugar candy (mishri) and take this with water 2 or 3 times a day. It is very effective home remedies for nosebleeds.
13. Crush fresh coriander (dhania) to extract the juice. Use as nasal drops to control the bleeding.
14. Eat two bananas with a glass of milk and sugar daily for at least 8 to 10 days to cure the problem.
