Lean forward, pinch the soft part of your nose firmly for 10 to 15 minutes, breathe through your mouth, and put a cold compress on the bridge. Do not tilt your head back - that is the most common mistake, and it just sends blood down your throat.
Step by step: sit and lean slightly forward (keeps blood out of your throat and stomach, where it causes nausea), pinch the soft fleshy part of the nose - below the bony bridge - with firm constant pressure for a full 10 to 15 minutes without peeking (peeking restarts the clock), and hold a cold compress or ice pack over the bridge to constrict vessels. A decongestant nasal spray (oxymetazoline) can help shrink the bleeding vessel if you have it. After it stops: no nose blowing, picking, or heavy lifting for a few hours; a dab of petroleum jelly inside the nostril keeps it moist. Why they happen: dry air (winter heating is the classic), nose picking, blowing hard during colds, decongestant spray overuse, and blood thinners or daily aspirin raising the stakes. Get care when: bleeding past 20 minutes of correct pressure, blood pouring down the throat, after a facial injury, with dizziness or paleness, or nosebleeds that keep recurring - recurring bleeds may need a vessel cauterized, a 5-minute clinic fix. Emergencies skip this list: chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, severe bleeding, or thoughts of self-harm mean call 911, or 988 for a mental health crisis in the US.
What to do
Common questions
Why shouldn't you tilt your head back during a nosebleed?
Because the blood has to go somewhere - backward means down your throat, which does not stop the bleeding, hides how much you are losing, irritates the stomach (swallowed blood reliably causes nausea and vomiting), and can gag or choke you. Forward lean with firm pinching is the technique that actually compresses the bleeding vessel while letting you see whether it has stopped.
When is a nosebleed an emergency?
Still bleeding after 20 minutes of correct firm pressure, blood flowing heavily down the throat despite leaning forward, nosebleed after a significant facial or head injury, bleeding with dizziness, weakness, or pale skin (blood loss), or difficulty breathing. On blood thinners (warfarin, apixaban) with a nosebleed that will not stop, treat it as urgent - those bleeds need medical help to control.
Why do I keep getting nosebleeds, and how do I prevent them?
The usual culprits: dry indoor air (winter heating, desert climates), a prominent vessel near the surface of the septum, nose picking, forceful blowing during colds, decongestant-spray overuse (3-day limit), and blood thinners. Prevention that works: a humidifier at night, saline spray or a dab of petroleum jelly inside the nostrils twice daily, and gentle blowing. Recurrent bleeds from the same spot earn a clinic visit - cauterizing the vessel takes minutes and usually ends the cycle.
Are nosebleeds a sign of high blood pressure or something serious?
Usually no - the vast majority are local (dryness, vessels, picking), and high blood pressure is an inconsistent contributor at most. Worth mentioning to a clinician: nosebleeds that are frequent, hard to stop, come with easy bruising or bleeding gums (clotting workup), or start after beginning a blood thinner or new medication. A sudden severe one-sided nosebleed with facial pain is a different, urgent category. Emergencies skip this list: chest pain, trouble breathing, stroke signs, severe bleeding, or thoughts of self-harm mean call 911, or 988 for a mental health crisis in the US.