Nosebleeds
Date issued: August 2021
Review date: August 2023
Ref: D-367
PDF: nose bleeds final August 2021.pdf [pdf] 427KB
Nosebleeds
What causes nosebleeds
Nosebleeds normally start just inside the nostril. Your blood vessels (that help carry blood around your body) are quite fragile which means that can easily break for no reason.
Bleeding tends to last only a few minutes and should be easy to control.
Bleeding may be harder to stop if you have high blood pressure, heart failure or take tablets which thin your blood. For example: warfarin or aspirin.
After your nosebleed
After a nosebleed you may still get more blood come from your nose. To stop this we would ask that for three days after you:
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Do not blow your nose
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Do not pick your nose
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Do not eat hot or spicy food
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Do not have very hot baths
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Do not do heavy exercise
Treating your nosebleed:
Sit up and lean forwards slightly. If you feel faint it is best to lie on your side.
With a finger and thumb pinch your nostrils together. Do not pinch the bones in your nose as this will do nothing to stop the bleeding.
After a few minutes the bleeding should stop.
The following things can help the blood vessels in your nose close quicker as the cold makes them get smaller:
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Sucking an ice cube
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A cold flannel on top of your nose
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An ice pack around the nose
If any blood goes down the back of your throat do not swallow it. Spit the blood out into a bowl.
If you nosebleed does not stop after 20 minutes phone 111.
