I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a bloody little show. My nose felt a little dry and stufy so I did what I normally do, blow my nose. I was praying it would be clear but, red it was. My nose was bloodier than usual. I took out one of my pregnancy reference books “Mayo Clinic Guide To A Healthy Pregnancy” and did the following for self-care:
- Sit up and keep your head elevated. Pinch the soft parts of my nose together between my thumb and index finger.
- Pressed firmly and gently, compressing the pinch parts of my nose toward the face.
- Held my position for five minutes.
- Lean forward to avoid swallowing the blood, and breathe through my mouth. ( It says to also apply ice-crushed in a plastic bag or washcloth – across the bridge of the nose, but we usually don’t carry ice in our freezer. We should probably buy a bag just in case)
In case anyone of you are curious what their prevention is, here are a couple of tips mentioned, but of course a health care provider should be called if nosebleeds persists, if you have high blood pressure or if it occurs after a head injury as stated.
To prevent a nosebleed:
- Be gentle when blowing your nose, and don’t try packing your nose with gauze.
- Dry air make you more susceptible to nosebleeds. Use a humidifier during the winter months (in my case, when dry air is experienced overall I think).
Until I got pregnant, I never experienced a bloody nose before. So aside from having high bood, being anemic, and now experiencing a bloody show sensitive than most due to the the prior two mentioned…all is peachy…not to mention your ocassional constipation now and then due to supplements.
Another week starts and the routine begins…drink plenty of water (suggested at least 64 oz a day if not more), low sodium diet, walk at least 30 minutes two to three times a week, relax when possible, and happy thoughts.
Almost there I say…almost there:)
