Nosebleeds are usually harmless and stop by themselves. The bleeding can be stopped more quickly by pressing your nostrils together and leaning forward slightly. This works in children, too. But medical assistance is sometimes needed, for example if the bleeding is very heavy.
Simple first aid measures normally help with nosebleeds. Parents or other adults can care for children.
Nosebleeds can usually be stopped like this:
Sudden nosebleeds can be frightening, especially for children. That’s why it’s even more important to keep calm and comfort and reassure children.
If first aid doesn't stop your nose from bleeding, you should see a doctor. You should call the emergency services (112 in Germany and many other countries, 911 in the U.S.). Keep holding your nose until they have arrived.
It is important to call the emergency services right away (112 in Germany) if you spot any of the following signs of severe bleeding:
If you’re unsure what to do, you can call the on-call doctors' information hotline in Germany at 116117.
If you often have nosebleeds, it’s best to talk to your family doctor or pediatrician, or contact an ear, nose and throat specialist to find out the cause.
Beck R, Sorge M, Schneider A, Dietz A. Therapiekonzepte der Epistaxis in Praxis und Klinik. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2018; 115(1-02): 12-22.
Joseph J, Martinez-Devesa P, Bellorini J, Burton MJ. Tranexamic acid for patients with nasal haemorrhage (epistaxis). Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2018; (12): CD004328.
Tunkel DE, Anne S, Payne SC et al. Clinical Practice Guideline: Nosebleed (Epistaxis). Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2020; 162(1_suppl): S1-S38.
Womack JP, Kropa J, Jimenez Stabile M. Epistaxis: Outpatient Management. Am Fam Physician 2018; 98(4): 240-245.
IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health care services.
Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. informedhealth.org can provide support for talks with doctors and other medical professionals, but cannot replace them. We do not offer individual consultations.
Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a team of health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts. You can find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in our methods.
Stay informed
Subscribe to our newsletter or newsfeed. You can find our growing collection of films on YouTube.
