NOSEBLEED

NOSEBLEED

The nasal septum consists of numerous tiny blood vessels under a thin mucous membrane. Thus a slight blow, injury, nose picking or hard blowing of the nose can result in the rupture of the delicate skin and the blood vessel underneath it, resulting in a nosebleed, also called as "epistaxis". Certain people are more prone to nosebleeds especially on any change in weather or any changes in the atmospheric pressure or due to certain nutritional deficiencies. If the nosebleed occurs after a head injury, or if it is associated with drowsiness, vomiting or headache, or if the bleeding doesn‟t stop within ten minutes or if you are unable to breat he, seek a doctor‟s help immediately.

On complaint of nosebleed the first thing to be done is blow your nose lightly to help clear out the blood clots that could be preventing the blood vessels from sealing. Also using the thumb and forefinger pinch the fleshy part of the nose above the nostrils tightly for about five to ten minutes, breathing through your mouth with the head slightly tilted back. Holding an ice pack  or  a cold compress over the nose also decreases the nosebleed by constricting the blood vessels. Also ask the person to drink a lot of cold water.

It is important not to blow your nose very hard  or stuff your nose with cotton after pinching the nose since the cotton will adhere to the clot that forms inside, which will be torn on trying to rem ove the cotton and the bleeding will ensue again.

HOME REMEDIES
1. A freshly gathered leaf of the Stinging Nettle placed on the tongue and pressed against the palate usually has an immediate good effect.
2. Increase the intake of almonds, apricots, beetr oot, berries, broccoli, cabbage, cherries, citrus fruits, coffee, cucumbers, grapes, green leafy vegetables, peaches, plums, tomatoes and white pumpkin. The patient should not be given any hot or spicy things to eat.
3. Add a teaspoonful of distilled extract  of Witch Hazel to half a tumbler of cold water and administer a teaspoonful every five minutes. Plugging the nose with cotton wool moistened with distilled extract of Witch Hazel also helps.
4. Take a teaspoonful of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water thrice daily for a few days.
5. Juice of fresh ginger with equal quantity of honey is given in small doses frequently throughout the day.
6. Apply a coat of petroleum jelly  or  aloe vera gel  or  Vitamin E oil on the mucous surface of the nose internally.
7. Dried holy basil (tulsi) leaves are used as a snuff to stop the bleeding.
8. Very fine powder of very young flowers of the pomegranate (anar) tree is used as a snuff.
9. Slices of onion when used as smelling salt stops the  nosebleed or  a few drops of onion juice is put in the nose.
10. Squeeze a few drops of limejuice into each nostril. This helps to stop the bleeding.
11. Taking soup prepared from meat and moong dal helps.