17 Hints to Stop the Flow

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Blow the clot out. Before you try to stop your nosebleed, give your nose "one good, vigorous blow" says Alvin Katz, M.D., an otolaryngologist in private practice in New York City and surgeon director at the Manhattan Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital. That removes any clots that are keeping the blood vessel open. A clot acts like a "wedge in the door," explains Dr. Katz. "Blood vessels have elastic fibers. If you can get the clot out, you can get the elastic fibers to contract around that tiny opening."

This "really, really helps," adds John A. Henderson, M.D., a San Diego otolaryngologist and allergist and assistant clinical professor of surgery at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. "It saves you a lot of nonsense."

Sometimes, blowing the nose and applying a little pressure is enough to stop the bleeding pronto.

Plug the bleeding side with wet cotton. What do you wet the cotton with? Several of our experts mentioned over-the-counter decongestants like neo-Synephrine and Afrin Nasal Spray.

But Jerold Principato, M.D., an otolaryngologist in private practice in Bethesda, Maryland, and associate clinical professor of otolaryngology at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, favors white vinegar. The acid in the vinegar cauterizes gently, he says. Decongestants give only temporary control; if you abuse them, you can hurt the nasal lining.

Plain gauze works, too. If you don't have cotton handy, use plain sterile gauze, says Christine Haycock, M.D., a private practitioner in Newark, New Jersey, and professor of clinical surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/New Jersey Medical School. Wet the gauze before putting it in your nose. (When it's time to take it out, cup your hands together, fill them with water, and wet the gauze. This should loosen it enough to take it out.)

Pinch the fleshy part of your nose. As soon as you've blown your nose and packed it with cotton or gauze, use your thumb and forefinger to squeeze shut the soft part of the nose. Apply continuous pressure for 5 to 7 minutes. If the bleeding doesn't stop, apply fresh packing and pinch again for another 5 to 7 minutes. The bleeding should stop by the time you're through.

"Leave the cotton in another 20 minutes before you take it out," advises Mark Baldree, M.D., a Phoenix, Arizona, otolaryngologist and staff member in the Division of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, at St. Joseph's Hospital there.

Sit up straight. If you lie down or put your head back, you'll just swallow blood, says Dr. Katz.

Try an ice pack. "Sometimes an ice pack can help quite a bit," says Dr. Haycock. The cold encourages the blood vessels to narrow and reduces bleeding

Don't pick. It takes seven to ten days to completely heal the rupture in the blood vessel that caused your nose to bleed. Bleeding stops after the clot forms, but the clot becomes a scab as healing continues. If you pick your nose during the next week and knock the scab off, you'll give yourself another nosebleed, says Dr. Principato.

Apply an anitbiotic/steroid ointment. "If you apply a little bit inside your nose two or three times a day, it will destroy any staph bacteria," says Gilbert Levitt, M.D., a Puget Sound, Washington, otolaryngologist and clinical instructor of otolaryngology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. This will stop the itching and prevent the crusting of mucus that might tempt you to pick.

Take iron. If you're prone to nosebleeds, consider iron supplements to help your body rapidly replace the blood supply, says Dr. Levitt. Iron is a vital component of hemoglobin, a key substance in red blood cells.

Watch your aspirin intake. Aspirin can interfere with clotting. If you're prone to nosebleeds, experts advise that you not take unnecessary aspirin.

Watch your salicylate intake, too. Dr. Henderson advises his patients to avoid foods high in salicylates, an aspirinlike substance found in coffee, tea, most fruits, and some vegetables. Foods on that list include almonds, apples, apricots, all berries, mint cloves, cherries, currants, grapes, raisins, oil of wintergreen, bell peppers, peaches, plums, tangelos, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pickles.

Control your blood pressure. Folks with hypertension are nosebleed prone. So follow a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, says Dr. Levitt. "If you have hypertension and a blood vessel breaks, better that it should break outside the cranial cavity than inside. That would cause a stroke. It's like God gave us a pop-off valve."

Humidify the air. When you breathe, your nose has to work to make sure that the air that reaches your lungs is well humidified. So it follows that when your surroundings are dry, your nose has to work harder. A good humidifier, particularly one that takes several gallons to fill, can help.

Dr. Katz recommends that you fill the humidifier with distilled water to protect yourself from impurities in tap water. Also, be sure to clean the unit properly, according to the manufacturer's instructions, at least once a week. Fill it with equal parts of water and vinegar and run it for 20 minutes.

Get your fair share of vitamin C. Vitamin C is necessary for the formation of collagen, a substance essential to the health of your body tissue, says Dr. Henderson. The collagen in the tissues of your upper respiratory tract helps mucus stick where it's supposed to, creating a moist, protective lining for your sinuses and nose.

Be careful in choosing oral contraceptives. Estrogen influences mucus production. Anything that changes the estrogen balance in your body—including menstruation, for women—can make you more prone to nosebleeds. Certain oral contraceptives also alter the balance. If nosebleeds are a problem for you, be sure to discuss this with your doctor when you choose your birth control pill.

Don't smoke. You want to keep the nasal cavity moist. Smoking really dries it out, says Dr. Baldree.