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4 Ways to Stop Severe Nosebleeds That Actually Work

I've Had Severe Nosebleeds For Over 20 Years — Here are 4 Ways I Put Them to A Halt

4 Ways to Stop Severe Nosebleeds That Actually Work
Image Source: Getty / solidcolours

Content Warning: This post contains graphic descriptions of heavy bleeding.

I still remember my first nosebleed like it was yesterday. It was a hot July day and I was just six years old at summer camp. All of the kids, including me, were running through the water sprinkler. Everything seemed playful and joyous until water went up my nose and blood started pouring out. The camp counselors panicked and gave me a tissue and an ice pack. I can still remembering them bickering over how this even happened and what to do aside from calling my parents. Ever since that day, the nosebleeds just kept coming.

It wasn't until my early 20s when I found out that I had, what my otolaryngologist refers to, as an aorta of a blood vessel in my right nostril. At one point I had nosebleeds on a daily basis. It wasn't until I met my current otolaryngologist (also known as an ear, nose, and throat doctor or ENT) in the emergency room that my nosebleeds finally came to a halt — more on that later.

As the weather gets colder and the air gets drier, nosebleeds can begin to creep up on all of us. Dry noses, nose picking, and other irritations to our nasal cavity can cause blood to come out instead of mucus.

If you tend to have severe nosebleeds, keep this post in your back pocket. Ahead are the various methods that I've used to keep my annoying bleeds at bay, including a method you should not try — it sent me to the emergency room!

Reminder: Please consult your otolaryngologist before attempting any of these methods.

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