When to go to Urgent Care for Nosebleeds
Nosebleeds are very common and often just need a little clean up. If you don’t want to wait in line at an urgent care clinic, but want fast service, here are four signs that indicate you should seek help at urgent care instead of making an appointment with your primary care physician: 1) Nosebleeds occur three or more times each week. 2) Nosebleeds last longer than 30 minutes at a time. 3) Your nose bleeds have started recently (after age 50). 4) You find yourself getting nosebleeds even though nothing has changed with your environment or lifestyle.
Nosebleeds often cause a lot of worry, but they’re usually no big deal. However, there are some situations when you might need urgent care, such as if your nose is filled with blood or if you have severe pain and bleeding in your mouth. If any of these things occur with a nosebleed—or with any sort of bleeding that doesn’t stop within 30 minutes—it’s time to see a doctor immediately. Stay calm and stay home until help arrives. Put pressure on your bleeding area using clean washcloths or towels, if possible.
Nosebleeds often come with no warning, and people can bleed a lot before they realize what’s happening. This is especially true if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or sickle cell anemia. While most nosebleeds are not serious, some do require urgent medical attention; these usually involve blood loss of more than 1 pint or persistent nosebleeds that don’t stop despite home remedies (like packing your nose with gauze). In these cases, seek urgent care immediately or head straight to your nearest emergency room.
Nosebleeds are usually not anything to worry about—but sometimes they are. If you have never had nosebleeds before, or your nose is bleeding after a hit in a contact sport, it’s worth seeing a doctor. The trick with nosebleeds is judging if they will stop on their own or if they need medical attention. Typically, if you can see blood coming out of your nostrils, but they aren’t excessively full of blood, then it’s likely that nothing more than time and pressure will stop them. However, if there is a large amount of blood covering your face or dripping onto things around you and/or getting into your mouth and throat, then it’s best to seek medical attention.
