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Nosebleed
Scenario:
Most commonly, nosebleeds are due to smacking your nose on a tree or the ground when you
part company with the bike. But some bikers get nosebleeds with the physical activity of
riding. The cause is a ruptured vein inside the nose. Dry air, altitude, forceful
breathing, and a deformed nasal septum predispose to spontaneous nosebleeds.
Description:
Most nosebleeds aren't serious. You could fill your water bottle with blood from a
nosebleed and still not be in big trouble. So relax. If you bumped the nose, check for the
signs of fracture: deformity, severe swelling, or inability to breathe through the nose.
See the doctor if:
a nosebleed doesn't stop after 1/2 hour
bleeding is severe (running out rather than dripping)
there's deformity of the nose
you can't breathe through the nose
pain is severe
Immediate care:
If there aren't any signs the bumped nose is serious, pinch the entire soft part of the
nose closed for 15 minutes. The nosebleed should stop. |
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If a nosebleed doesn't stop with pinching, blow out all
the blood. Now spray several times into the bleeding nostril with a nasal decongestant
spray. Again hold the entire soft part of the nose shut for 15 minutes. |
| A cold-pack may slow the bleeding, but shouldn't interfere with pinching
the nose.
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Ongoing care:
After the nosebleed stops, rest for a half hour. Leave your nose completely alone. Resist
the temptation to wipe the clots out and blow the nose.Once things settle down, put a
little lubricating gel or ointment just inside the nostril. |
| The ointment should be applied very gently, only about 1 cm inside the
nostril. Repeat twice a day for a week. Keep the air humid. Don't blow or pick your
nose. Avoid aspirin for a few days. |
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Trivia: Who
is our photo model for the nosebleed instructions above?
It's little Matthew Flygare, in photos taken by Dr.
Argyle over 35 years ago.
See Matt in a more glorious role in our mountain
biking videos, for example Gooseberry Mesa.
[First Aid Index Page]
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