It's another MEDICAL MYTH BURSTER MONDAY.
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MYTH : Tilt the head backwards to stop a nosebleed.
Most nosebleeds occur in the front of the nose and involve only one nostril, they could be just a nuisance or a medical problem or both.
These nosebleeds typically are not serious, and can generally treated at home.
However, the prevailing advice/practice of tilting the head backwards is a mere Myth!. This advice goes way back and it's origin isn't well known. And Maybe it’s probably just your natural instinct to tilt your head back when you have a nosebleed.
And Experts say, not only is this method useless—it can be dangerous.
This could be the case in what is called a posterior nosebleed(occurs in the back or the deepest part of the nose). In this case, blood flows down the back of the throat. Posterior nosebleeds can be dangerous.
Tilting your head backwards during a nosebleed doesn't stop the bleeding, NO! It doesn't. Instead the bleeding continues and can result in a person swallowing their blood into their stomachs or even choking on it.
Also there's a chance that the blood winds up in your airways, adds Jennifer Villwock, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat surgeon at the State University of New York’s Upstate Medical University. In very rare cases, that can cause pneumonia, since the blood could be contaminated with bacteria from your throat.
Instead the best way to stop the bleeding is to apply pressure on the soft part of the nose and leaning forwards for 10 minutes.
Gently pinch your nose at the spot where it starts to become soft. (Just below your nasal bones.), with your forefinger and thumb. This will apply pressure to the bleeding vessels inside your nostrils, which helps the blood clot faster.
Then tilt your head slightly forward at your neck. This way, the blood that’s already in your nose will pour out through your nostrils rather than down your throat.
Swallowed blood can also irritate your stomach and cause vomiting. And vomiting may make the bleeding worse or cause it to start again. Spit out any blood that gathers in your mouth and throat rather than swallowing it.
One more pro tip: Try using a decongestant nasal spray like Afrin when your bleed first starts, before pinching your nose, Dr. Villwock says. The sprays are typically meant to ease congestion, but can help stop nosebleeds faster because they constrict the blood vessels in your nostrils.
Prevent a nosebleed from happening again by: Avoid lifting or straining after a nosebleed.
Elevate your head on pillows while sleeping. Don't pick or blow your nose and don't bend down for several hours. Keep your head higher than the level of your heart. You can also gently apply some petroleum jelly to the inside of your nose using a cotton swab or your finger.
The causes of nosebleeds include dry air, nasal irrigation or infection, object stuck in the nose, allergies or more seriously cancer. So If bleeding hasn’t stopped after half an hour, seek medical advice.
Thanks for reading. See you next week.
REFERENCES:
Kaiser Permanente. Stopping a nosebleed. https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/health-encyclopedia/he.stopping-a-nosebleed.sig56332spec#:~:text=Follow%20these%20steps%20to%20stop,and%20you%20may%20swallow%20it. Accessed 13th June, 2022.
JULIE ZEGLEN. You’ve Been Stopping Nosebleeds Wrong Your Entire Life!. https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19547501/how-to-stop-a-nosebleed/. Accessed 13th June, 2022.
Mayo Clinic Staff. Nosebleeds: First aid. https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-nosebleeds/basics/art-20056683#:~:text=Use%20your%20thumb%20and%20index,stops%20the%20flow%20of%20blood. Accessed 13th June, 2022.
