Health and Beauty

1908

Nosebleed

Synonym — Epistaxis.

Causes — Injury, excessive heat, acute congestion of the head, measles, typhoid fever, diseases of the heart, lungs, and liver, diseases of the blood, nasal obstruction, due to a polypus or a foreign body, such as a button, bean, or pea, picking the nose, violent blowing of the nose, sneezing, vicarious menstruation, vasomotor disturbances. It occurs in boys and girls at the age of puberty. High altitude may cause it.

Treatment — The majority of eases need no treatment, for the bleeding usually stops spontaneously within ten or fifteen minutes. Hold the head erect, and apply ice or cold compresses to the neck or to the nose, or hot water at a temperature of 1200. In most cases the bleeding comes from a small point on the septum, and may be compressed with the fingers; or compress the facial artery by pressing the “corners” of the upper lip between the thumb and fore-finger. A spray of ten grains of tannin in an ounce of water is sometimes effectual, or even the injection of ice--water. If the hemorrhage is quite severe, and if the blood flows from the back part of the nose into the mouth, the posterior nares will have to be plugged. This may be done with absorbent cotton, cheese-cloth, or surgeons’ lint.