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How were you taught to stop a nosebleed? You probably tilt your head back, right?
Stop that right now. It doesn’t matter if your grandma told you that was the right way to stop or if you just do it because it feels right. It’s time to unlearn that instinct.
Why? Well, because not only is it ineffective, it’s also pretty dangerous,
If you’ve ever used this method, you may have noticed that the blood makes its way back and down your throat. This doesn’t just feel gross, it can also be terrible for your body. If you swallow too much blood, you may end up vomiting when it hits your stomach.
That’s not the only place that blood can go. It could also get into your airways, which could end up choking you. On rare occasions, your blood could be contaminated with the bacteria from your throat and cause pneumonia.
So what can you do?
The best way to stop a nosebleed is probably counterintuitive to you, but it really does work.
Pinch the bridge of your nose right where your nasal bones end. This applies pressure to the blood vessels that have broken, and will make the blood clot.
Now here’s the weird part: tilt your head slightly forward while holding onto the bridge of your nose.
Believe it or not, keeping that blood in your body isn’t doing you any favors. If you tip your head forward, the blood will go out through your nostrils rather than into your body.
Dr. Villwock, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat surgeon at State University of New York, has another tip—use a decongestant nasal spray right after your nosebleed starts. Again, maybe it sounds counterintuitive, but it will constrict the blood vessels in your nose and stop bleeding faster.
