How to stop an anterior nosebleed?
• Stay calm, or help a young child stay calm. A person who is agitated may bleed more profusely than someone who’s been reassured and supported. • Keep head higher than the level of the heart. Sit up. • Lean slightly forward so the blood won’t drain in the back of the throat. • Using the thumb and index finger, pinch all the soft parts of the nose or place a cotton ball soaked with Afrin, Neo-Synephrine, or Dura-Vent spray into the nostril and apply pressure. The area where pressure should be applied is located between the end of the nose and the hard, bony ridge that forms the bridge of the nose. Do not pack the inside of the nose with gauze or cotton. • Apply ice crushed in a plastic bag or washcloth to nose and cheeks. • Hold the position for five minutes. If it’s still bleeding, hold it again for an additional 10 minutes. What is a posterior nosebleed? More rarely, a nosebleed can begin high and deep within the nose and flow down the back of the mouth and throat even if the patient
