Home remedies for nose bleeding

Nose bleeding (epistaxis, nose bleed) is a common problem people face during summer season.

Reasons and remedies for nose bleeding: Weather, exercise, sneezing, having cold etc. can cause bleeding from nose. If a person has high blood pressure  it may also cause nose bleeding.

Dry air is the most common cause of nose bleeds. Living in a dry climate and using a central heating system can dry out the nasal membranes, which are tissues inside the nose.

How to handle nose bleeding:

1. Sit upright in a chair and stay quiet as possible. Let the blood flow from nose instead of through throat.
2. Don’t lie down during a nosebleed. Instead keep your head elevated and above your heart. Breathe through your mouth.
3. Sit up straight with your head tilted slightly forward. Using your thumb and index finger, pinch the soft part of your nose below the bony bridge. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes. During this time, breathe through your mouth. Release the pressure gently and sit quietly for 5 minutes.
4. Apply cold compresses or ice cubes above the nose to control bleeding. Apply an ice pack to your nose and cheeks.
5. Put a thin layer of a saline- or water-based nasal gel, such as NasoGel, or an antiseptic nasal cream inside your nose.
6. Take a warm shower and breathe deeply to get moisture into your nose.
7. Stop smoking – smoking increases bleeding
8. Do not expose yourself to dryness. Keep an air conditioner or humidifier in your room.
9. Keep away from sour, salty and pungent taste food as they may aggrevate the problem.
10. To keep the mucous membranes moist, drink an ample amount of water each day.

Home remedies:

• Soak 20 gram of dried aamla in water and strain it after few hours. Drink this water. Apply aamla paste on the forehead and nose.
• Add equal parts of red sandalwood, liquorice and nagakesara to a glass of milk and drink.
• Eat ripe figs with honey or jiggery.
• Drink pomegranate flower tea.
• Add a pinch of salt to ½ cup of water and stir well. Put a few drops of this solution into your nose to moisten the inner lining of the nasal passages.
• Chew some fresh basil leaves thoroughly. This will calm the body and soon the bleeding will stop.
• Add equal parts of coriander, adhatoda leaf, raisin, aamla to water. Add honey and drink twice a day.
• Eat foods high in vitamin C and bio-flavonoids to keep the blood vessels in top form.
• Increase the intake of iron in your diet to increase your hemoglobin level.
• Include zinc-based foods like brown rice, whole wheat bread and air-popped popcorn to maintain the blood vessels in the body.
• Avoid spicy and fried foods that can irritate inner linings of the nose.
• Include cow’s milk and ghee in your dietary regimen
• To keep nose moist, put a small amount of petroleum jelly on your finger and apply it to the inside of your nose.
• Drink juice made of crushed onion and durva (Cymbopogon).
• Put a few drops of coriander oil or fresh coriander juice onto the inner nose lining and soon the bleeding will stop.
• Soak a small cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and place it lightly into the nostril. Leave it in place for at least 10 minutes and the bleeding will stop.
• Cut 1 onion into thick slices. Press 1 slice under your nose and inhale the fumes. The bleeding will stop within minutes.

Fortunately, most nosebleeds are not serious and usually can be managed at home, although sometimes medical intervention may be necessary.

If you have frequent nosebleeds, you could have a more serious problem. If you are over 50 and there is nose bleeding, then contact your doctor immediately. Nose bleeding above certain age can happen due to high blood pressure.   Anyone can get a bloody nose occasionally. But if you’ve noticed that your nose bleeds frequently, or an unusual-looking blood spot has suddenly appeared on your skin, it’s time to seek medical help. These symptoms might indicate a rare blood vessel disorder known as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, or HHT. There are several treatments for patients who have chronic and recurrent nosebleeds. For example, an ear, nose and throat specialist can treat lesions with lasers, or sometimes take a patch of skin and sew it into the nose so that it doesn’t bleed.

References:

• https://familydoctor.org
• http://www.emedicinehealth.com
• http://www.mayoclinic.org
• Image credit: Image by Jayzza Gallego Garzon from Pixabay
• Ayurveda for all, Dr. Ch. Murali Manohar, Pustak Mahal 2003