In the News: Herbal First Aid for a Nosebleed

Reader Contribution by Ariel Tilson
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<p>Earlier this year I got a nosebleed for the first time. It seemed like a completely random event; I thought perhaps it was because of the dry August weather. But then it happened again in December and then again just a few days ago. Now I’m left wondering what is going on with my nose? </p>
<p>A bloody nose, or epistaxis, can occur for many reasons: extremely dry weather, use of blood thinners and anticoagulants, traumatic head injuries, or high blood pressure, to name a few. Growing up in Minnesota’s winters, I never had a bloody nose. Also, I very rarely take pain killers (such as Ibuprofen or Aspirin), I don’t have high blood pressure and, to my knowledge, I haven’t recently been hit in the face.</p>
<p>During my search for answers I came across a couple of recent articles on the websites <a href=”http://www.about.com/” target=”_blank”>
<font color=”#800080″>www.about.com</font>
</a> and <a href=”http://www.consumerreports.org/health/conditions-and-treatments/no-more-nosebleeds/overview/no-more-nosebleeds-ov.htm” target=”_blank”>
<font color=”#800080″>www.consumerreports.org</font>
</a>, which suggest that certain herbal supplements, such as <em>ginkgo biloba,</em> may cause episodes of epistaxis because they increase blood flow to the brain. I’ve been taking <em>ginkgo biloba</em> regularly since this summer, so this had me a little worried.</p>
<p align=”center”>
<br />
<strong>Very little research proves that herbal supplements, such as <em>ginkgo biloba,</em> causes episodes of epistaxis.<br />
</strong>Photo by Hawaiian Sea/Courtesy Flickr<br />
<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/area53/” target=”_blank”>http://www.flickr.com/photos/area53/</a>
</p>
<p>Before I tossed my pricey bottle of ginkgo in the trash, I searched the <a href=”http://abc.herbalgram.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Homepage” target=”_blank”>American Botanical Council’s Journal</a> for some herbal research. I couldn’t find anything that correlated <em>ginkgo biloba</em> supplements directly with nosebleeds. In fact, the studies that I found said that there was very little reliable evidence connecting ginkgo supplements to spontaneous bleeding.</p>
<p>A 2005 <a href=”http://cms.herbalgram.org/heg/volume2/page100.html” target=”_blank”>
<font color=”#800080″>study</font>
</a> led by Professor Edzard Ernst of the University of Exeter, systematically reviewed medical databases from around the world, including 9,772 subjects in 44 controlled trials. The study concluded that <em>ginkgo biloba’s</em> ability to inhibit platelet aggregation does not cause bleeding abnormalities. Another <a href=”http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbclip/311/review44591.html” target=”_blank”>
<font color=”#800080″>study</font>
</a>, also from 2005 and also based on a medical database that included 5 million outpatients from more than 1,000 medical practices in Germany, concluded that <em>ginkgo biloba</em> did not increase the risk of bleeding.</p>
<p>So, my only conclusion is that I have no real conclusion. There are probably any number of reasons for the onset of my nosebleeds–perhaps it’s the heating system in my new house causing dry mucous membranes. I do need to be more aware of what I’m ingesting and potential side effects, but instead of just blaming my herbal supplements with insufficient evidence for my nosebleeds, I’ll also try to prevent them by boosting my intake of vitamin C, vitamin K and investing in a humidifier.</p>
<p align=”center”>
<br />
<strong>Try applying a pinch of powdered yarrow to stop nosebleeds.</strong>
<br />
Photo by Dawn Endico/Courtesy Flickr<br />
<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/candiedwomanire/36093804″ target=”_blank”>http://www.flickr.com/photos/candiedwomanire/</a>
</p>
<p>Next time you suffer from a nosebleed try applying a pinch of <a href=”https://www.motherearthliving.com/health/make-a-natural-first-aid-kit-meet-healing-head-on-with-herbs.aspx?page=2″>
<font color=”#800080″>powdered yarrow</font>
</a> leaves, shepherd’s purse or other astringent herbs to stop the bleeding. </p>
<p>
<hr />
<p>Have you suffered from nosebleeds before? What do you do when get a nosebleed? Leave me a comment and let me know. </p>

  • Published on Feb 18, 2010
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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