Most nosebleeds can be stopped without the need for medical attention, but occasionally further treatment may be required. What to doTo stop a nosebleed:
If the bleeding eventually stops, you won't usually need to seek medical advice. However, you should still follow the recovery advice outlined below. When to seek medical adviceContact your GP or call the NHS 111 service if:
Ask someone to drive you to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department or call 999 for an ambulance if:
Find your nearest A&E department Medical treatmentIf you see your GP or go to hospital with a nosebleed, you will be assessed to determine how serious your condition is and what's likely to have caused it. This may involve looking inside your nose, measuring your pulse and blood pressure, carrying out blood tests and asking about any other symptoms you have. The main treatments that your GP or hospital doctor may use to stop your nose bleeding are described below. Antibiotic ointmentYour doctor may prescribe an antibiotic ointment. This should be applied by squeezing a pea-sized amount onto the front of the nasal septum (wall between the nostrils). This can reduce the inflammation and crusting in the nose and reduce the severity and frequency of nosebleeds. Antibiotic ointment is particularly effective in children. CauteryIf your doctor is able to identify exactly where the bleeding is coming from, they may carry out a minor procedure to seal the bleeding blood vessel by cauterising (burning) it. This is normally done using a stick of a chemical called silver nitrate. A local anaesthetic will be sprayed into your nose to numb it and the silver nitrate stick will be held against the bleeding point for up to 10 seconds. Nasal packingIf cautery is ineffective or your doctor is unable to identify a specific bleeding point, they may recommend packing your nose with gauze or special nasal sponges to stop the flow of blood by applying pressure to the source of the bleeding. Packing will usually be carried out after local anaesthetic has been sprayed into your nose. The gauze or sponges often need to be left in place for 24-48 hours before being removed by a health professional. You'll usually need to be admitted to hospital to be monitored during this time. Further treatmentIf the treatments above don't help, you may be referred to a hospital specialist such as an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor for further treatment. Additional treatments that may be used in hospital include:
RecoveryOnce your nose has stopped bleeding, you should follow the advice below to reduce the risk of your nose bleeding again and to stop you picking up an infection:
If you see a GP or a hospital doctor about your nosebleed, they may give you a prescription for an antiseptic nasal cream once the bleeding stops. This should be applied to the inside of your nostrils several times a day for up to two weeks to help prevent further bleeding. If your nose does start to bleed again, follow the first aid advice above and seek medical advice if the bleeding doesn't stop. |