How to Stop a Nosebleed: The Penny Trick and What Science Says

Learn how to put an end to bleeding noses with these easy steps

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: November 20, 2022 References

What’s the penny trick?

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Does it work?

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Stopping a Nosebleed

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Prevention

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When to See a Doctor

Nosebleeds can be really irritating to deal with, and you may be looking for some quick tricks to stop a nosebleed in the future. If you’ve heard that putting a penny on your forehead can stop a nosebleed in its tracks, you’re probably wondering if it’ll actually work. We’ve dug into it to share what the science says so that you can treat nosebleeds quickly and safely. In this article, we’ll break down the penny trick, explain whether it works or not, and show you the best ways to prevent and treat nosebleeds in the future.

Things You Should Know

Putting a penny on your forehead to treat a nosebleed isn’t going to help at all, unfortunately.
Stop a nosebleed by leaning forward, putting gauze on your nostrils, and pinching your nose closed for up to 10 minutes.
Prevent nosebleeds in the future by keeping your nostrils moist, running a humidifier, and treating your allergies.

Section 1 of 5:

What’s the penny trick?

The penny trick is an old wives’ tale that supposedly stops nosebleeds. When your nose starts to bleed, you put a penny on your forehead between your eyes and lean your head back. Hold the penny for 1-3 minutes and your nose will supposedly stop bleeding.^{[1]
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- Some versions of the trick claim you can use any old coin, but a penny tends to be the most popular recommendation.

Section 2 of 5:

Does it work?

There’s no evidence that a penny will do anything for a nosebleed. Nosebleeds occur when blood vessels in your nose burst, so putting a coin on your forehead is unlikely to help you there. As cool as it would be if it worked, the penny on the forehead trick isn’t going to help with a nosebleed.^{[2]
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- Tilting your had back during a nosebleed doesn’t actually do anything, either!
- Cold temperatures can help blood vessels constrict so a freezing coin might theoretically help a tad, but it’s by no means going to solve a nosebleed.
- Nobody knows where the penny trick comes from for sure, but it’s a well-documented myth from the American Midwest that goes back at least to the early 1900s.^{[3]
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Section 3 of 5:

Stopping a Nosebleed

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Sit upright and lean forward a little bit. Lying down or tilting your had back actually doesn’t help to stop bleeding; all it does is cause blood to flow down your throat, which is usually pretty uncomfortable. Sit down and tilt your head forward a bit to stay comfortable.^{[4]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
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2
Pack your nose with gauze to soak up the blood. Your nosebleed will clot on its own once the broken blood vessels empty a bit. While you wait for the clotting to start, stuff a piece of gauze gently into the opening of the bleeding nostril. This will soak up the blood.^{[5]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
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- If you don’t have gauze, use a crumpled-up paper towel, tissue, or bunch of toilet paper.
- Replace the gauze every minute or so if the blood keeps flowing and the fabric soaks through.
- Don’t stuff the gauze into your nostril super far—just keep it in the opening.
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Pinch your nose and breath through your mouth for 5-10 minutes. Gently pinch the soft portion of your nose near the bottom of your nostrils. This will speed up the clotting process and help your nose stop bleeding. Wait up to 10 minutes and release your nose once you feel the bleeding has stopped.^{[6]
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Michigan Medicine
The University of Michigan's medical center, which provides patient care, supports research, and educates the public on health topics
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- Don’t blow your nose like you would for a stuffy nose. If there is a chunk of clotted blood, you can carefully and gently blow that out, but don’t overdo it.
- Wipe your nose softly with a wet cloth to remove any blood and clean up.

Section 4 of 5:

Prevention

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Keep your nose moist when you feel it drying out. Nosebleeds are almost exclusively caused by your nose drying out. If you feel like your nose is irritated or dry, dip a cloth in cool water and wipe your upper lip and nostrils. This will keep your nose moist and prevent a potential nosebleed.^{[7]
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- You can also take a warm shower or boil some water and put your head over it to breathe the steam
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Keep the air humid by running a humidifier in your home. A humidifier will keep the air moist, which is ideal if you or your child get nosebleeds at home often. Leave the humidifier running in the bedroom at night and you’ll prevent a good number of nosebleeds going forward.^{[8]
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- Allergies can occasionally cause nosebleeds in children. In that case, treating your child’s allergies in addition to keeping the air moist will help dramatically.
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Avoid blowing your nose excessively. Blowing your nose super hard or more than a few times a day can irritate the blood vessels in your nose. If your nose is stuffy, blow it softly, take a decongestant, or use a saline spray to clear your nose out.^{[9]
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Section 5 of 5:

When to See a Doctor

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Your nosebleed continues for more than 20 minutes. If the nosebleed won’t stop after 20 minutes or so, it could indicate that you’ve seriously harmed the vessels in your nose or that you’re experiencing a clotting issue. Go to the emergency room if you nose won’t stop bleeding after you’ve pinched it close for roughly 10 minutes.^{[10]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
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- If the bleeding feels like it’s slowing down dramatically but it’s just taking a little long, you probably don’t need to see a doctor ASAP.
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The blood fills your throat or pours heavily out of your nose. If the blood flow is so extreme that it’s starting to overflow into your throat while you’re sitting up, or it flows out of your nose like it’s coming out of a faucet, go see a doctor. A nosebleed can cause an alarming amount of blood to appear, but it shouldn’t be so dramatic that you can’t control it with a chunk of gauze.^{[11]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
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You experience other symptoms, like dizziness or weakness. Unless you have a cold or allergies, a little irritation in your nose and bleeding should be your only symptoms. If you start to get dizzy, you feel weak, or you experience any other symptoms outside of a bloody nose, seek medical help immediately.^{[12]
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- If you have high blood pressure or anemia and you get a nosebleed suddenly, go the emergency room.
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Your nose bleeds multiple times a week. A nosebleed should be a once-in-a-while kind of thing. If you’re getting them regularly though, it’s worth investigating the underlying cause. It could be something as simple as allergies or dry air in your home, but it’s still worth getting it checked out. Make an appointment with your doctor to get your nose checked out.^{[13]
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Trustworthy Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}