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ANDREW B. SILVA, MD VIRGINIA HEAD AND NECK SURGEONS P.C. HERE’S WHAT TO DO IF A NOSE BLEED STARTS:
Sit down or lay down with your head propped up on 2 or 3 pillows. Keep calm and
remember many nose bleeds will stop all by themselves if you just rest for a few minutes.
If you are driving or operating heavy or dangerous equipment stop.
Put an ice pack on your nose. Get a thin washcloth and some ice or a bag of frozen
peas. Place the washcloth over your nose and put the ice bag or peas on the washcloth.
Leave this cold pack on your nose for 10-15 minutes at a time.
If you think your nose bleed is extremely severe, call for help. It’s okay to call 911
for an ambulance if you are afraid that your bleeding is extremely bad. Although most
bleeding will stop without emergency treatment. It is better to call for help if you are not
sure. You can also go to the hospital, but don’t try to drive yourself.
Pinch your nose closed with your thumb and index finger. Pinch just hard enough to
stop the flow of blood. Keep pinching for at least 5-10 minutes.
Don’t blow your nose. You want to let a clot form inside your nostril.
If you are still bleeding in 4 or 5 minutes, shoot 2 sprays of Afrin Nasal Spray into
the bleeding nostril. Afrin shrinks blood vessels down to help stop the bleeding. If you
are still bleeding in 5 minutes, use another 2 sprays of Afrin. You can use Afrin every 8
hours for a few days to stop bleeding. Do not use it more than 3 days without a doctor’s
advice.
REMEMBER IT IS NEVER WRONG TO CALL FOR HELP
NOSE BLEEDS
If you have nose bleeds, here’s how to prevent them and treat them when they happen. First, a shopping list, buy only the items we have checked below. _____Ocean Nasal Spray (colds section of the store, NO prescription required). _____Afrin Nasal Spray (colds section of the store, NO prescription required). _____Bactroban Ointment (pharmacy; prescription required). _____A&D Ointment (baby section). _____Cool Mist Humidifier (Target, drug store). _____Other______________________________________________________________ Here are the things you can do to prevent a nose bleed:
Control your blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, talk with your
primary doctor about how to better control it. Keep you nose moist. Use the ocean Spray, two sprays in each nostril 5 times a
day. If a humidifier is checked run it while you sleep about 4 feet from the bed Use a nose ointment. Put a small amount of ointment we’ve checked above at
the entrance to your nostril 3 times a day. Tilt your head back and let your body heat melt the ointment back into your nose. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes for this to happen. Although you may not be able to tell the ointment will reach the area of your nose bleed. Don’t place your finger, a Q-tip or anything else up
your nose. Just place the ointment at the entrance to your nostrils.
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Don’t rub, pick or blow your nose. Wait about 10 days before you even try to
blow your nose. If you spray your nose, gently sniff upward. Sneeze with your mouth open. If you sneeze a lot, talk to us or your allergy
doctor how to prevent sneezing and other allergy symptoms. No heavy lifting, bending over, straining, and no sports. Don’t pick up
Children, grocery bags or anything over 20 pounds for the next 10 days. No exercises except walking at a slow pace during this time. Protect your nose from bumps by playful pets and children. No aspirin or products with aspirin in them. Do not use aspirin products for
the next 2 weeks. If you take aspirin for your heart call the doctor who told you to take it to get permission to stop. Aspirin is “hidden” in over-the-counter products like Pepto-Bismol. If you are not sure, read the label, ask a pharmacist Don’t use steroid nose sprays until we tell you it is safe. No Vancenase,
Beconase, Flonase or other nasal spray with cortisone medicine in it until we Look at your nose and tell you it is ok. Come back to see_________________for a recheck in about ___________days, and call sooner if you have any questions or problems.

Source: http://www.drsilvaent.com/NOSE_BLEED_INSTRUCTIONS.pdf