Bothered by a Nosebleed?

[Guest guest]

Today's Question

Bothered by a Nosebleed?

www.drweil.com

 

Any cure for a nosebleed? What is the scientific name for it?

 

-- Eric Ang

 

 

Today's Answer

 

Nosebleeds can look fairly dramatic because of all that bright red blood

running down your face. But they're actually more of a bother than a medical

problem -- and definitely not life-threatening.

 

Sometimes a nosebleed can be a symptom of something else, such as high blood

pressure or a clotting disorder.

 

But most often, it's spontaneous and more likely to happen in winter

than any other season. When the lining of your nose dries out or

there's a lot of sneezing or nose-blowing because you have allergies

or a cold, the blood vessels close to the surface can rupture. This

may happen when you're spending a lot of time in overheated rooms,

or it may happen when someone punches you in the nose.

 

The first thing to do if you get a nosebleed is to blow your nose

gently. Don't lean back. Instead, sit upright or lean your head

slightly forward and pinch both nostrils. Hold them shut for five to

10 minutes and breathe through your mouth. By plugging your nose,

you stop the blood flow and allow the blood vessels to form a clot.

 

Another way to stop bleeding is to sniff a little bit of powdered

yarrow.

 

Yarrow, or Achillea, has a wonderful ability to stop

bleeding.

 

If after 20 minutes you're still bleeding, it's best to go to a

doctor and see if you need to get the blood vessels sealed off with

some silver nitrate solution. You'll also likely need professional

help if you're taking blood thinners or large amounts of aspirin.

 

Once you've stopped bleeding, don't blow your nose for a while or

exert yourself -- the bleeding could start up again.

 

If you live in a dry climate, one solution to regular nosebleeds is

to use a humidifier in your home. Another option is to rub some

liquid vitamin E in your nose. You can also try taking vitamin C as

a supplement -- at least 1,000 milligrams twice a day -- since it

decreases the fragility of small blood vessels. Another possibility

is bilberry extract (from the European blueberry, Vaccinium

myrtillus), which does the same thing.

 

By the way, the scientific name for nosebleed is " epistaxis. "