Most people do not know the proper way to stop nosebleeds. The methods I hear
about most often include putting a cold compress on the bridge of the nose,
leaning forward, or having the child tilt his head back so his nose is pointing
up in the air. The reason such remedies abound is because people don’t realize
that 95% of the time, the bleeding is coming from the nasal septum (this is the
name of the cartilage that separates your nostrils).
The best way to stop bleeding is to put direct pressure on the area that is
injured. Therefore, the way to stop a nosebleed is to pinch someone’s nostrils
with medium pressure for 5 minutes without peeking. Once the bleeding stops, ask
your child to refrain from picking or blowing his nose because that would
dislodge the clot and the bleeding could start again.
If your child’s nose continues to bleed after 5 minutes of constant pressure,
repeat the pinching procedure for 10 minutes. If that does not work, call your
— Howard J. Bennett, M.D.