Injuries caused by a fall or getting hit in your nose

Several things can trigger a nosebleed. The most common cause is dry air, either from having the heat on in winter or being in a hot, low-humidity climate. Other causes include:

How Do I Stop My Nosebleed?

Nosebleeds usually aren’t serious. You can treat most by yourself at home by doing the following:

Stay calm . If you start to get nervous, it can actually make you bleed more. Try to relax.

. If you start to get nervous, it can actually make you bleed more. Try to relax. Sit up, don’t lie down. Keep your head above your heart.

Keep your head above your heart. Lean a little bit forward . This keeps the blood from draining down the back of your throat.

. This keeps the blood from draining down the back of your throat. Pinch your nostrils closed. Use your thumb and index finger to hold your nostrils closed for 5 to 10 minutes while you breathe through your mouth. This puts pressure on the part of your nose that’s bleeding and can make the blood stop flowing.

Once the bleeding has stopped, do not touch or blow your nose. This may start it bleeding again. But if it does restart, gently blow your nose to get rid of any blood clots. You can also spray a decongestant such as oxymetazoline (Afrin, Mucinex, or Vicks Sinex) in both nostrils. Then pinch your nostrils shut and breathe through your mouth for 5 to 10 minutes.

Call your doctor if:

You fell or hit your nose on something

You get nosebleeds often

Your nosebleed lasts longer than 20 minutes even after you put pressure on it

If your doctor can’t get your nosebleed to stop with pressure, they might try:

Cauterization.This procedure burns a blood vessel closed. After your doctor numbs your nose, they’ll use either a heated electronic device (an electrocautery) or a chemical called silver nitrate to close the leaky blood vessel.

Packing. Your doctor puts a latex balloon or gauze into your nostril. This puts a lot of pressure on a blood vessel until it closes.