How to treat nosebleeds with Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Nosebleeds tend to be very common, experienced by almost everyone at some point in their lives. They often occur when the lining of your nose becomes fragile due to the environment around you being too dry, nasal allergies, and nose picking. The nasal lining contains an abundance of blood vessels which the nosebleeds originate from. After the blood vessels rupture they tend to require 7-10 days to fully heal. You must be vigilant and avoid picking and scratching your nose during this time.

TCM treatment for Nosebleeds

Nosebleeds in Chinese Medicine are called “Bi Niu” which is usually caused by pathogenic heat disturbances and upsurging which in turn cause bleeding. The excess pattern, you can see heat either in the lung, liver or spleen. Prolonged nose bleeding can turn to deficient patterns such as liver and kidney yin deficiency and spleen qi deficiency. Therefore, Chinese Medicine practitioners need to differentiate the excess or deficiency, and according to the different patterns, provide the best treatment plan.

How to know your nosebleed in Chinese Medicine tems?

  • Heat in lung: Nosebleeds are bright red, small in amount, dripping out, dry and hot in the nasal cavity, or cough with less phlegm, dry mouth and body heat. The tip of the tongue is red, the coating is thin white and dry
  • Heat in stomach: Nosebleeds are bright red or dark red, large in blood volume, dryness experienced in the nose, dry mouth, bad breath, irritability, thirst, dry stools, and short red urination.
  • Heat in liver (Liver Heat Upsurge): Heavy nosebleed, dark red blood, headache and dizziness, bitter mouth and dry throat, fullness of chest and flank, red face and red eyes, irritability and irritability.
  • Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiency: Heavy nosebleed, dark red blood, headache and dizziness, bitter mouth and dry throat, fullness of chest and flank, red face and red eyes, irritability and irritability.
  • Spleen qi deficiency: Nose blood oozing out, light red in color, less in amount. pale complexion, poor appetite, lethargy, fatigue.

According to the heat presentation in different organs, your Chinese Medicine practitioner may suggest you to take the herbs to cool down your heat or tonify your deficiency. For example: San Ju Yin (桑菊饮），Yin Qiao San (银翘散) for Lung heat, Yu Nu jian (玉女煎）for Stomach heat, Long Dan XieGan Tang (龙胆泻肝汤）for Excess Liver heat, Qi Ju Di Huang Wan (杞菊六味地黄丸）for yin deficiency and gui pi tang (归脾汤）for SP/HT deficiency. Please consult your Chinese Medicine doctor for more detailed information.

How to prevent a nosebleed

  • Don’t blow your nose too hard
  • Avoid picking your nose
  • Use a humidifier
  • Limit alcohol or caffeine consumption
  • Avoid spicy, greasy and sweet foods
  • Consume foods with cold properties such as fruits, cucumber, mint tea, coconut water (Please consult with your Chinese medicine practitioner first)
  • Establish a good sleep schedule as lack of sleep can head to excess yang energy
  • Avoid drugs that thin the blood
  • Quit smoking

How to manage a nosebleed

  • Sit upright and lead forward, and breathe through your mouth
  • Squeeze shut the soft part of the nose for 10 minutes
  • Place a cold towel at the back of your neck to cool your body
  • Avoid excessive movement

If your nose is bleeding very often, please see your doctor and get a thorough check to find the causes of bleeding. After ruling out all the possibilities, and still being unable to find out the causes, you can consult with your Chinese Medicine practitioner to help you.