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Nosebleeds during colds are quite common. It is important to remember your first aid care if you encounter a nosebleed. It is important to stay calm and comfort the sufferer of the nose bleed, especially children who are not averse to seeing blood.

Every time you get a cold, the blood vessels inside your nose tend to get irritated. If you aggravate these blood vessels further, they are likely to bleed. Blowing your nose too hard or constantly wiping it can also lead to nose bleed during a cold. The constant colds with the recurrent dry air of dehumidifiers can create crusts inside the nose. These crusts get dislodged when you blow your nose. There is no need to worry if you see blood after blowing your nose during a common cold.

There are two main types of nose bleeds - anterior and posterior nose bleeds. Anterior nose bleeds are the more common ones and are a result of irritated capillaries in the nose due to additional pressure caused by blowing of the nose or sneezing. Posterior nose bleeds usually occur after injuries to the nose or due to high blood pressure. Posterior nose bleeds occur in adults. There is the threat of the blood flowing back in to the throat and choking the patient.

Causes

The primary causes for nosebleeds may include

• Allergies which lead to colds and sneezing
• Blowing the nose very hard
• Repeated sneezing
• Very cold or very dry air
• Chemical irritants
• Change in pressure or barotrauma
• Injury to the face
• Surgery
• Blood thinning medication

High blood pressure and stress are also known to cause nose bleeds.

Remedies

There are some remedial measures you can try at home to stem the nose bleeds. If you are getting nose bleeds more than once a week, it could be indicative of a more serious problem. You should get it checked out and not rely on home remedies.

• Hold some tissues to stem the blood. If the blood flow does not stop in 20 minutes you need to seek emergency medical care.
• Stand or sit with head tilted backwards. Gravity can help control the flow of the blood. Don't tilt it back completely as blood could enter the throat. It could lead to choking and vomiting from swallowing so much blood.
• Avoiding staying in really dry areas. Add humidifiers to the room if needed.
• Avoid allergy triggers like pollen and dust.
• Don't forcefully blow your nose and definitely do not pick at it, trying to remove a scab.
• You can also apply a little ice to your nose to keep the blood vessels from drying out and bursting under dry conditions.
• Press your nose just above the bridge gently. This pressure will should stop the blood flow.
• Avoid blowing your nose while your nose is still bleeding.
• Avoid physically straining yourself for the next 24 hours after a nose bleed.
• A steam inhalant might help your cold and reduce the dryness in your nose.
• Sometimes you can also apply some petroleum jelly on your nose to prevent the nose from drying.
• If your nose bleed occurs due to an injury, you should not wait for the nose bleed to stop on its own. Seek medical care immediately. Wear protective gear, especially nose guards while playing contact sports where the probability of suffering from a nose injury is high.
• Occasionally the doctor might pack your nose with gauze if he cannot identify the cause of the bleeding.

Reference:

• http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/student/health/pdf/E-H/Epistaxis.pdf
• http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/003106.htm

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.