How to stop a nose bleed with help from a Zooper Dooper

It’s summer time! Sun, water, outdoors and fun is all around! But it also means an increase in the number of nose bleeds that one may experience. This can occur for a number of reasons including the heat, and trauma from people being more active and suffering a knock to the nose. In any case, the majority of bleeding noses (or epistaxis in medical terms) are the same and originate from the front/lower part of the nose. Hence, the first aid is same too.

Given the soaring heat this time of year (especially in Australia), most of us having some tasty, frozen treats in the freezer to help cool us down. In this post, I’ll show you how to utilise one of those – a Zooper Dooper frozen ice (any frozen ice block or just ice will do) – to help stop those annoying nose bleeds. It’s also a great way to help reduce the anxiety that children may have when they have a blood nose. There are a few myths on epistaxis first aid that I see all too often and we will dispel those along the way. Check out the video below.

What you will need:

• A box of tissues
• An icy treat
• Your thumb and index finger

Here are the steps:

1. Lean forward. This prevents the blood from going down the back of your throat.
2. Using a tissue/towel/t-shirt or whatever you have handy, pinch the soft part of your nose firmly with your index finger and thumb. Bleeding occurs in Little’s Area, which is located in the middle septum in line with the soft part of the nostrils. Breath through your mouth.
3. Pop the Zooper Dooper/Ice block/Frozen ice into your mouth and enjoy! The ice will help to stop bleeding in Little’s Area by cooling it through the roof of your mouth. The cold will then constrict the blood vessels, helping to stem the bleeding.
4. Hold the pinch on the nose continuously for 5-10 minutes. Try not to keep checking if the bleeding has stopped as this will disrupt the process. Like elsewhere on the body, you need continuous pressure to stop bleeding as this helps the clotting process.
5. If the bleeding does not stop after 10 minutes, continue to apply firm pressure and repeat the steps above. Sometimes bleeding will take a bit longer to stop, especially if you take blood thinning medication or have a bleeding disorder. If you still cannot control the bleeding, please seek medical attention.

Forget doing these things as they are ineffective:

1. Ice pack on the back of the neck.
2. Ice pack on the forehead.
3. Pinching the top bony part of the nose. Bleeding doesn’t occur here and you are just applying pressure to the bone.

Some ways to avoid further bleeding noses:

• Avoid excessive heat. This includes hot showers, saunas, hot drinks and activity in the soaring heat.
• Try not to blow your nose.
• Don’t pick your nose!
• Apply a bit of vaseline with a cotton bud (hello) to the inside of the nose three times a day to help keep it moist.

So there you have it – the simple, effective and correct way to stop a bleeding nose. Let me know if you have to use it!