Nosebleeds!

[Christine]

Anyone have any handy tips to keep these at bay that I don't know about? I apologize up front that the following is kind of disgusting.

I have never had a problem with nosebleeds until maybe the last few years--chalking it up to old lady drying out, lol! Mainly winter time. I am also a regular Flonase user and I don't think that helps. Although I had been backing off that stuff which was probably contributing to the kind of stuffy nose I'd been having.

I noticed a few weeks ago that when I was blowing my nose there were traces of dried blood (both sides) and figured it was the dryness of the season kicking in. I've been trying to periodically moisturize with Ayr nasal gel or vaseline and it seemed to be improving.

Today in the shower (sorry TMI I coming) as my sinuses were loosening up, I gently started blowing. Around the 3rd time it was just a gusher with blood. Got it to stop relatively quickly after bleeding all over the bathroom. Starting getting dressed, blow drying hair and bam, started up again. I think I have it under control for now with the use of a saline rinse to clean it up, Afrin to constrict, and a coating of vaseline. I can see exactly where it's coming from and doesn't appear to bleeding but now I swear I'm just tasting blood. Ugh.

So I had a bunch of errands to run this morning and I now don't want to head out for fear that this will start up while I'm driving or in Walmart.

Does anyone have any tricks of the trade so to speak that I could try? I'd like this little spot to heal up and then use something to keep things from happening again. I'm probably doing everything I can but maybe someone has some better ideas.

 

[firefly_ris]

My oldest had really bad nosebleeds for over a year.

Use a humidifier in your home. I have a portable one for bedrooms as well as a whole house humidifier on my furnace.

Ayr nasal spray in the mornings.

These things helped but ultimately we had to see an ENT and get a vessel cauterized (she was having bleeds lasting for 40 minutes).

 

[AppleDumpling]

The saline nasal spray should help. If you think it’s related to winter dryness, you could try sleeping at night with a humidifier.

 

[firefly_ris]

https://www.cvs.com/shop/ayr-saline...H64BlzT5kmYE2V-X4xBoCqTUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


https://www.cvs.com/shop/ayr-saline...AZwjEYcTCZFv4SSlD7BoC-f0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Christine]

My oldest had really bad nosebleeds for over a year.

Use a humidifier in your home. I have a portable one for bedrooms as well as a whole house humidifier on my furnace.

Ayr nasal spray in the mornings.

These things helped but ultimately we had to see an ENT and get a vessel cauterized (she was having bleeds lasting for 40 minutes).

Thanks! Yeah, I'm always worried about need a cauterization. A few years ago I had one or two nosebleeds in the middle of the night and they took a LONG time to stop. I did manage it and they finally went away. I have dual zone HVAC and the HVAC the covers my main floor has the humidifier but the HVAC that is up in my attic cannot take a humidifier so I'm sure my upstairs is much less humid.

 

[Christine]

The saline nasal spray should help. If you think it’s related to winter dryness, you could try sleeping at night with a humidifier.

I know you're right. I'm alwasy skeeved out by humidifiers as I'm worried I won't be able to keep them clean enough but I need to do better.

 

[Christine]

https://www.cvs.com/shop/ayr-saline...H64BlzT5kmYE2V-X4xBoCqTUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


https://www.cvs.com/shop/ayr-saline...AZwjEYcTCZFv4SSlD7BoC-f0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks, these are the things I have but only just started with them. The gel came as a sample (tiny, tiny tube) within the spray so maybe I need to get the full size one and be more liberal with that.

 

[firefly_ris]

Thanks! Yeah, I'm always worried about need a cauterization. A few years ago I had one or two nosebleeds in the middle of the night and they took a LONG time to stop. I did manage it and they finally went away. I have dual zone HVAC and the HVAC the covers my main floor has the humidifier but the HVAC that is up in my attic cannot take a humidifier so I'm sure my upstairs is much less humid.

It wasn't too bad (of course this coming from the person who didn't have it done). The procedure took less than 5 minutes. It did bother her for a couple hours afterward but my daughter is extremely pain sensitive and works herself up over those sorts of things so as an adult probably not as bad. If it becomes something really inhibiting it could be worth inquiring about.

I have had both warm air humidifiers and cool air humidifiers and in my personal experience if you're concerned about cleanliness I feel you should try a cool air humidifier.

I missed that you're already doing the Ayr. It did help my daughter a bit but didn't totally eliminate her nosebleeds.

 

[Christine]

It wasn't too bad (of course this coming from the person who didn't have it done). The procedure took less than 5 minutes. It did bother her for a couple hours afterward but my daughter is extremely pain sensitive and works herself up over those sorts of things so as an adult probably not as bad. If it becomes something really inhibiting it could be worth inquiring about.

I have had both warm air humidifiers and cool air humidifiers and in my personal experience if you're concerned about cleanliness I feel you should try a cool air humidifier.

I missed that you're already doing the Ayr. It did help my daughter a bit but didn't totally eliminate her nosebleeds.

Thanks! I only just started the Ayr so probably need to be doing it more when things are stabilizied. The gel did feel a bit weird and sticky and then just dry again so I don't know how much it works. I generally do well with Vaseline but you're really not supposed to be doing that as it can run down into your lungs when you sleep apparently.

 

[RUDisney]

My nose would spontaneously bleed and I tied it back to Nasonex every day. I discussed it with my doctor and I'm laying off of it and I haven't had a nosebleed since giving it up. I take 2 Loratadine per day (generic Clarinex) with the Nasonex. I've been doing this for years under the advice of an allergist. He was arrested for groping his med students, so I no longer have an allergist, but that's a story for another day.

If you google nosebleeds, you'll see that spray allergy meds can cause them. No amount of humidity or nasal lubrication would have stopped mine.

You may have to find a substitute for Flonase.

 

[Imzadi]

Definitely use a humidifier. And maybe take some Vitamin K. It always takes me a long time to heal from bruises, about a week or more. When I take Vitamin K regularly, the bruises are gone in a few days. Maybe it will help your nose heal quicker in between bleeds.

 

[lanejudy]

DD gets a lot of nosebleeds. We use a humidifier in the winter (there are no-filter ones if that's more preferable for you). And long ago her pediatrician recommended a little dab of vaseline on a qtip swirled around in the nostril. We do that about once a week and it really makes a difference; you might need to do more often at least initially.

 

[Christine]

My nose would spontaneously bleed and I tied it back to Nasonex every day. I discussed it with my doctor and I'm laying off of it and I haven't had a nosebleed since giving it up. I take 2 Loratadine per day (generic Clarinex) with the Nasonex. I've been doing this for years under the advice of an allergist. He was arrested for groping his med students, so I no longer have an allergist, but that's a story for another day.

If you google nosebleeds, you'll see that spray allergy meds can cause them. No amount of humidity or nasal lubrication would have stopped mine.

You may have to find a substitute for Flonase.

Thanks! I have always expected it with the Flonase but I had actually backed off it for 2 weeks, which in turn caused me to have "debris" in my nose which caused the blowing the last few days. I just don't know!!

 

[AprilsZoo]

As far as cauterizing, it is very quick and simple. And if you’re continuing to have the nosebleed multiple times today, and in the coming week or so, you should pop into urgent care or your primary care physician office to let them cauterize it for you. Especially if it’s easily visible by you where it’s bleeding from.

The procedure is simple. They’ll use a stick, like one of the wooden long q-tips, but instead of cotton it’s tipped with a blob of silver nitrate. They use a little tool to hold open your nostril so they can see, and touch the silver nitrate stick to the bleeding vessel. They hold it there for 5-10 seconds, and voila.

If the spot was already tender, it may be slightly more so. (Have you ever had an ingrown hair, or a pimple inside your nose? It feels a little like that.

I know when you hear cautery, you think they’re coming at you with a hot poker or something… but it’s not like that at all.

generally do well with Vaseline but you're really not supposed to be doing that as it can run down into your lungs when you sleep apparently.

Not sure where you got this info, but I’ve been told by several doctors (including hospitalists while I was an inpatient) to use a light coating of Vaseline inside my nose. Was told to even do it with older infants/toddlers and school age children. If it’s not going to hurt babies, it’s not going to hurt a full grown adult.

Even my sister, who is on oxygen, uses Vaseline inside her nose, because the prongs irritate her nostrils. If they get really raw she uses Polysporin. If it could get in your lungs, I doubt her pulmonologist would’ve suggested it.

It’s not a straight shot from your nose into your lungs. Most healthy people can trust that they’ll swallow any traces of Vaseline that *might* manage to migrate up and back over your soft palate. Which really won’t do you any harm. It’s really just a more solid form of mineral oil, and that’s used (in much larger doses) as a laxative. There are medicines that have a petroleum base that are used intranasally too.

Obviously don’t put great gobs up there— who could stand that anyway… yuck.

Talk with your doctor about this too, if you’re still worried. I wouldn’t want you to not have some kind of relief, because of a misunderstanding or unfounded fear.

 

[Christine]

As far as cauterizing, it is very quick and simple. And if you’re continuing to have the nosebleed multiple times today, and in the coming week or so, you should pop into urgent care or your primary care physician office to let them cauterize it for you. Especially if it’s easily visible by you where it’s bleeding from.

The procedure is simple. They’ll use a stick, like one of the wooden long q-tips, but instead of cotton it’s tipped with a blob of silver nitrate. They use a little tool to hold open your nostril so they can see, and touch the silver nitrate stick to the bleeding vessel. They hold it there for 5-10 seconds, and voila.

If the spot was already tender, it may be slightly more so. (Have you ever had an ingrown hair, or a pimple inside your nose? It feels a little like that.

I know when you hear cautery, you think they’re coming at you with a hot poker or something… but it’s not like that at all.


Not sure where you got this info, but I’ve been told by several doctors (including hospitalists while I was an inpatient) to use a light coating of Vaseline inside my nose. Was told to even do it with older infants/toddlers and school age children. If it’s not going to hurt babies, it’s not going to hurt a full grown adult.

Even my sister, who is on oxygen, uses Vaseline inside her nose, because the prongs irritate her nostrils. If they get really raw she uses Polysporin. If it could get in your lungs, I doubt her pulmonologist would’ve suggested it.

It’s not a straight shot from your nose into your lungs. Most healthy people can trust that they’ll swallow any traces of Vaseline that *might* manage to migrate up and back over your soft palate. Which really won’t do you any harm. It’s really just a more solid form of mineral oil, and that’s used (in much larger doses) as a laxative. There are medicines that have a petroleum base that are used intranasally too.

Obviously don’t put great gobs up there— who could stand that anyway… yuck.

Talk with your doctor about this too, if you’re still worried. I wouldn’t want you to not have some kind of relief, because of a misunderstanding or unfounded fear.

Yeah, it was obviously an internet medical scare "possibility." I do continue to use the vaseline.

Hopefully this will not be a repeat from this particular area. I can clearly see the spot in the nose where the source is from.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I think tapering off the Flonase and using the Vaseline should help. (I don’t think it gets in lungs, it only takes a tiny bit to soften such a small area.)

I have seen a small tampon used up the nostril (temporarily) for a bad nose bleed. It works pretty well, but not everyone wants to use one, lol.

 

[Christine]

I think tapering off the Flonase and using the Vaseline should help. (I don’t think it gets in lungs, it only takes a tiny bit to soften such a small area.)

I have seen a small tampon used up the nostril (temporarily) for a bad nose bleed. It works pretty well, but not everyone wants to use one, lol.

LOL, I've already done the tampon thing a few years ago when I had a big nosebleed. It was interesting because all I had in the house was an OB superplus and my nostril is not that big.

 

[RUDisney]

Thanks! I have always expected it with the Flonase but I had actually backed off it for 2 weeks, which in turn caused me to have "debris" in my nose which caused the blowing the last few days. I just don't know!!

You need to use another allergy med to keep allergies at bay while you stop the Flonase. Otherwise, you'll be a gloppy mess.

I can feel that I'm not using the Nasonex and I've thought once or twice about going back to it, but I haven't gotten to that point yet. My doctor asked for a month or two and then we'll talk about substitutes for the coverage that Nasonex gives me in addition to the Claritin... I said Clarinex before. I knew that didn't sound right and the right name just popped into my head.

 

[Christine]

You need to use another allergy med to keep allergies at bay while you stop the Flonase. Otherwise, you'll be a gloppy mess.

I can feel that I'm not using the Nasonex and I've thought once or twice about going back to it, but I haven't gotten to that point yet. My doctor asked for a month or two and then we'll talk about substitutes for the coverage that Nasonex gives me in addition to the Claritin... I said Clarinex before. I knew that didn't sound right and the right name just popped into my head.

I already using Claritin but I noticed when I back off the spray, I just get a lot of stuff in my nose. It's not running or anything--just stuff. I clear it out in the morning and then fine. I take the spray and Claritin for eustachian tube dysfunction but obviously I have some low-level allergies.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

I had to have my nose cauterized when I got a nosebleed that would not stop. I went to urgent care and they sent me to the ENT who saw me immediately because it was so bad. Not to be graphic but I was soaking through gauze at an alarming rate and the urgent care doctor was pretty concerned. Same as you, it was the result of daily nasal spray for allergies prescribed by the allergist. Also same, the ENT recommended I stop using the allergy spray (this was a few years ago but I think it was also Flonase). He told me to use saline to keep the nasal passages moist and if I got another nosebleed to use Afrin to constrict the blood vessels and stop the bleeding. He strongly cautioned again using Afrin regularly, just when I couldn't get the nosebleed to stop. Also said a light coating of Vaseline wouldn't hurt. So it sounds to me like you are doing everything that was recommended to me and I haven't had a significant problem since.