Cause and cure of summer nosebleed

A nosebleed can be both dramatic and traumatic. It is quite common in summer due to rise in temperature. Some of the other causes could be high altitudes, cold weather or some other underlying health issue. Dr Sanjeev Dang, Sr Consultant ENT, Apollo Spectra Hospital highlights the causes and cure of nose bleed in summer. Try these simple tricks to stop the gush.

Cause

• Nose bleeding can be caused by numerous factors such as infections, injuries, allergic reactions, nose picking, high blood pressure, trauma from objects which have been pushed up into the nostril or by pushing objects into the nostrils.
• Nosebleeds, especially repeated nosebleeds, may be a symptom of a more serious condition. Tumours of sinuses or nose may cause nosebleeds that keep coming back. Hypertension, alcohol abuse, infection, inherited bleeding disorders can prolong bleeding.

Home remedies

• Drink half a cup of water by adding a pinch of salt
• Apply a few drops of nettle leaf juice on each nostril to stop nosebleeds
• Drink plenty of water and vitamin C and K
• Put a pack around your nose and drink ice cold water
• Add a few drops of coriander oil on the inner lining of the nose or apply a paste of fresh coriander leaves on the forehead.
• These are some of the remedies which will heal the person and will stop nosebleeds promptly. One should also avoid unnecessary travel, don’t rub or blow your nose too fast, avoid smoking, forceful speaking and forcible blowing of the nose.

Do’s and don’ts

• In case of a nosebleed, sit down and lean slightly forward and pinch the nose tightly for 5-10 minutes. It helps in stopping the bleeding.
• If bleeding occurs recurrently and without any nose injury, there are times when you should go to a doctor or get emergency care if you do have one. If the bleeding doesn’t stop on its own or when pressure is applied, your doctor may cauterise the bleeding vessel or pack your nose to stop the bleeding.
• If you get a nosebleed, don't blow your nose. Doing so can cause additional nosebleeds.
• Don’t tilt your head back. This common practice will cause blood to run into your throat.
• The person with a nosebleed should not sniff or blow their nose for at least another fifteen minutes. This allows the clot to stabilise.
• Avoid nose picking, unnecessary travel, going out too much in the heat and prefer to cover your face for the rest of the day so that the broken blood vessel can heal and does not burst again.
• If any child or elderly person is having frequent nosebleeds, then consult a doctor immediately to treat any underlying medical condition. Sometimes nosebleeds occur due to some infection and might require antibiotic ointments and medication for treatments.