Tips stopping a nosebleed that happens on way to altitude...

[mdrejhon 8]

Hey,

I am currently at a skydiving event (at ZTeam 2010 -- we're grounded due to clouds). On the first day, I ended up having a nosebleed that occured on the way to altitude that started at 9000 feet.

When it happened twice in a row, I seriously thought about standing down because of that. As it could potentially be a pressure equalization problem (some rupture in my ears and my sinuses). However, I put into fourth some tips from common sense (and as I am a deaf skydiver, I'm already deaf anyway). After three jumps that I had minor nosebleeds (only one person noticed), they stopped.

For a nosebleed that's not extreme and regularly starts halfway to altitude, the tips I discovered were:

THE TIPS
- In the airplane, keep your chin up high. Blood is less likely to drip from nose.
- Sit up and dont slouch. If you're sitting on the floor, find a way to sit up comfortably without needing to lean your back. The blood pressure in your head will go down the higher the head is above your feet.
- Breath slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth. It will help dry up the nosebleed faster if you breath dry air into your nose than breath out damp air out of your nose.
- Have some kleenex in your jumpsuit pocket just in case.
- Stay relaxed. That keeps your blood pressure down.
- Do not blow your nose hard on the ground before jump. If you must blow your nose, blow very gently, through one nostril at a time. The high pressure of an aggressive nose blow may rupture something and cause a nosebleed. If you're breathing normally through both nostrils and you're not dripping, it may be best to skip blowing your nose, as to not aggravate any weak seal on a recent nosebleed.

Then they may stop completely on your next jump, so you don't have to stand down.

I think for me, specifically the cause was:
- I had relatively few jumps in my winter layover (although lots of tunnel time) and suddenly was jumping 15000 foot jumps.
Lesson: Try to do quite a bunch of 11000 feet jumps at your local Cessna dropzone on the weekend prior, perhaps with a high opening or two, to help more slowly re-acclimate your ear/sinus pressure equalization system for the season after a winter slowdown. You will have less ear pain too.
- I had a rental car issue at the airport that resulted in a 5 hour delay, and gave me far less than half my usual sleep as a result. This may have compromised my sinuses a bit.
Lesson: It was unavoidable, but do your best to have maximum amount of sleep, to keep your health in maximum shape.

Warning -- There are info about the dangers of damaging your hearing if you jump congested and your sinuses cant equalize pressure, and it's a good idea to stand down. (My sinuses weren't blocked in this case, however.) In these borderline cases where you're not sure you're going to stand down, I've posted some tips to help prevent a reliable nosebleed that occurs on the clock (i.e. happens everytime you go above 9000 feet)

[piisfish 135]

a finger in the nose stops the bleeding too

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[AndyMan 7]

I would see a doctor, specifically one familiar with altitude issues. Random nosebleeds while flying is not common.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[mdrejhon 8]

Just so you know -- it usually happens once a year for me. Unexpectedly if you're in the middle of a big way event or competition event, there's also the difficulty of deciding to let your team mates down.

Seeing a doctor is recommended (I may do just that), but you can't always know that in advance and there are times you feel you need to follow through, especially if it is not a gusher of a nosebleed.

[Andy0689 0]

Quote

a finger in the nose stops the bleeding too

A finger in the nose usually starts it too.

Andy
I'll believe it when I see it on YouTube!

[headoverheels 291]

I was having a bit of a nose bleed a few years back at the DZ. I ripped strips of Kleenex(tm), rolled them up, and used them as nasal tampons. Just the right amount, and they work well. Too big and they won't go. Too small, and they won't stay in. A little too small, combined with an open face hat/helmet, and they may blow right through into the back of your throat during free-fall, as happened to me.

[HoldtheIce 0]

I’ve been having nose bleeds for years. It’s been a chronic problem ever since I was a kid. After a trip to the Emergency Room on Christmas Eve a doctor showed me how to stop the bleeding myself.

Apply pressure at the point! Just like the First Aid training we received in school. Your nose has a pressure point as well. It’s an artery located right at the base of where your scull (bone) meets the flexible cartilage in your nose. Press hard and hold your index finger there for a 3 or 4 minutes. It hurts like hell but it will stop the bleeding. If 3 or 4 minutes doesn’t work try again. Unless you are a "bleeder", it will stop.

Another technique that works.....if you have access to cold water like a sink or a cooler full of beer. Hold the cold water in your cupped hand and sniff the water into your nose. Do this until no more color is coming back out. The cold water does the trick. Your blood will coagulate as soon as it hits the cold water.

Tipping your head back only allows your sinus cavity to fill with blood and that nasty shit run down the back of your throat.

Good Luck!

Cause they know, and so do I, The high road is hard to find
A detour to your new life, Tell all of your friends goodbye

[airtwardo 6]

~stick a couple of ear plus up your nose.

~Bleed all over your rig and tell people what a great deal ya got on it at an estate sale!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[BIGUN 1,053]

Stop using Afrin.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[elias123 0]

I have had this problem as well. Thank you for posting the tips :)

"In a mad world, only the mad are sane"

[mdrejhon 8]

Hadn't taken anything... I actually avoid pharma until I really need it, like an allergy pill, or an essential prescription. None had been taken in the last week, though.

There, however, is, indeed a known contributing factor: My nosebleeds that rarely happens otherwise, occurs if I am in a weakened state by overwork or lack of sleep. Even if I am not skydiving, although in this case that was the knockout punch for some small rupture, I guess. As it was indeed the case, I had a rental car hassle and was not at the DZ until 430am and I slept in the car the first morning, being too late to bother to find a hotel to just do 2 hours, campground office closed for the night, etc.....

It was not a gusher (mostly stuff that can be absorbed in one kleenex.). If it were, I would had been much more worried...

Again, it can be unsafe, but it had been my decision to follow through with the Team. I drank zero beers during the event, and slept in a couple nights, by the way, to catch up, health-wise.

[crazycableguy 0]

star away from the "booger sugar" that stuff is not healthy

[mdrejhon 8]

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star away from the "booger sugar" that stuff is not healthy

Don't use that stuff either... no medications, no treatments, no drugs (of any kind), no nothing. The most noxious chemical at the time was simply one cup of coffee... I did not even drink a single beer or alcoholic beverage during Z-Team 2010.