First Aid How to Respond to Sudden Nasal Bleeding?

What can help quickly with nosebleeds

If suddenly blood runs out of the nose, this is scary for many people at first. However, most causes of nosebleeds are harmless. Frequently, simple home remedies are enough to stop the electricity. But in some cases a doctor should be consulted.

Causes of nosebleeds are often harmless

Sudden onset of nosebleeds often causes great concern. After all, it sometimes looks like a main artery has burst. In fact, these are blood from vessels that supply the nasal mucosa. In most cases, nosebleeds are harmless and can be stopped with simple home remedies. But frequent nosebleeds, according to health experts also point to a serious illness. It may, for example, be the result of excessive blood pressure or even a symptom of a blood coagulation disorder. Then you have to tackle the cause necessarily. Professionals explain when sufferers should go to the doctor.

Most causes of nosebleeds are harmless. But if the bleeding does not stop quickly or it happens more often, it is important to see a doctor. (Image: drubig-photo / fotolia.com)

Bleeding nose through dried up mucous membranes

In many cases, the cause of epistaxis in adults is an increase in blood pressure that causes a small vessel to burst.

Or a combination of an already irritated, dry mucous membrane and high blood pressure.

In addition, there is a spot on the nasal septum where many vessels converge. If the skin barrier is damaged there, for example when nasal cannulation, especially a lot of blood can run out of the nose.

Basically more prone to nosebleeds are people who take blood thinning agents. Even with flu infections, it is more likely to get spontaneous nosebleeds.

Pregnant women are also more prone to bleeding noses because their mucous membranes are more well supplied with blood.

In addition, the nose bleeds a little more often in children.

When sufferers should go to the doctor

Although you do not have to go straight to the doctor when it comes to nosebleeds for the first time, but in repeated occurrence, the cause should be clarified.

"If you have nosebleeds twice a week, you should research the cause together with a doctor," advises Adrian Münscher of the Department of Otolaryngology at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, according to a news agency dpa.

It could, for example, be an indication of high blood pressure or atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis).

Another possible reason: nosebleed may be a symptom of a blood clotting disorder.

Patients who take blood-thinning medications - such as after a thrombosis, a heart attack or stroke - should always go to the doctor with nosebleeds.

Since the nose regenerates quickly and therefore sometimes no longer visible from the problem after a few days, the doctor's visit should be better not too long to wait.

Basically, "If the nosebleeds in adults after 20 minutes can not be brought to a standstill (in children earlier!), Threatens to high blood loss," writes the German Professional Association of ENT doctors on its website "ENT Doctors in Network".

"The affected person must go to the doctor immediately! Likewise, if the bleeding is exceptionally strong or the nose is visibly damaged. "

"If nosebleeds in children can not be stopped for fifteen minutes, parents should go with them to the (ENT) doctor," it says elsewhere.

Simple home remedies can help

But what can actually be done for nosebleeds?

"The old home remedies are still helping," explains Münscher in the dpa message. A method that can stop nosebleeds is to put a cool rag in the neck. As a result, the blood vessels pull together lightning fast.

In addition, it helps to squeeze the nose firmly. "It looks like a bandage," says Münscher.

According to health experts, nose bleeding means bending the head forward and bleeding the nose. It would be wrong to put your head back.

"This causes the blood to run backwards into the throat and through the esophagus into the stomach", it says on the portal "ENT Doctors on the Net".

"This can lead to nausea and vomiting. In addition, there is a risk that the blood gets into the respiratory tract. This is especially dangerous if the patient is unconscious. "(Ad)