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Three steps to stop a nosebleed

 

To stop a nosebleed:

  1. Pinch the nose right below the bridge of the nose.

  2. Lean forward. That helps the clot to form in the nose and prevent ongoing bleeding.

  3. Apply a cool cloth on the back of the neck, which can also help stop the bleeding.

“You really have to pinch the nose for quite some time,” says Andrea Dvorak, MD. She recommends five to 10 minutes, or longer if you have a bleeding disorder. “You should watch the clock, because it’s much longer than you really feel like it should be.”

Dvorak, the director of Upstate’s Pediatric Bleeding Disorders Clinic, offers reassurance that the majority of nosebleeds do not signal bleeding disorders.  

She suggests that people who have recurrent nosebleeds use nasal saline solution to keep the nose moist, especially during winter, when the air is dry.

Upstate Health magazine fall 2019 coverThis article appears in the fall 2019 issue of Upstate Health magazine. Click here for the full online version of the magazine.

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