Nosebleeds - head forwards or backwards..????

[jojo47]

Poll Nosebleeds head forwards or backwards

Her dad and I seem to have different opinions on this, and websites vary too.

I *think* it should be forwards to prevent choking, he thinks it should be backwards.

Comments

[moosical]

I am an expert on this.. between the ages of 2 year 5 month and 6 years I had chronic nosebleeds. Chronic in as much as I could bleed for hours.

I had to attend the hospital for specialist appointments and when I was just over 5 I had my nose cauterized (they burn nerve endings to try and prvent bleeding).

It's definately forwards as if you tip their head backwards any blood clots will travel down their throat and can block the airway, especially in a small child.

We had to battle with the first aider at my school as she was taught to tip backwards and used to try and force my head back when I knew it was to go forward, it was especially dangerous for me as I used to pass very big clots when my nose bled!

Thankfully I rarely get them now but I did get them sporadically till I was 13.

My worst ever lasted for 5 and a half hours and I ended up hospitalised due to it ;-/

[jojo47]

Thats the experience her dad had when he was younger, I think he ended up in hospital for 5 days because of it and had in cauterized.

Be he still inisists its backwards!

I wonder if its an age thing and its now changed...he's nearly 34.

But thank you :)

[moosical]

I'm 29 and I know that whe I was having specialist treatment there was a huge thing re the forwards/backwards thing so it probably was a change just after he had his issues.

If you think about it though if you tip their head backwards all you are doing is causing the blood to run down their throat whereas forward you're allowing it to leave their body.

[moosical]

Straight from NHSDIRECT

NHS DIRECT ADVICE ON NOSEBLEEDS

That also says .. Lean forward not back to avoid blood going down your throat!

Sorry to go on but I am quite passionate about this subject given all the issues I had when I was younger ;o)

[jojo47]

I totally agree with you!

I even copied and pasted from NHS direct website to an email I sent him!

:)

[caz]

I suck then lol

[jojo47]

There are so many different opinions on this!

Until I started looking, I didn't know!

So no, you don't suck \o/ :)

[winkle]

My mum used to tip my head back when i had a nose bleed and all i remember is having to swallow lovely mixtures of blood and snot. Yummy! I would say forwards is better as you dont get quite so much of that unpleasantness