Nasal swabs are used to stop severe nosebleeds and are made of a spongy material that fits inside the nose. They are less painful than gauze and can be used for several days. Other medical solutions include cauterization and balloons.
Regular tampons are items that women use to absorb menstrual blood within the body. Nasal swabs perform the same function but in the nose, to stop nosebleeds. A nasal swab is usually only needed if you have severe nosebleeds that require medical attention. Commercial nasal swabs are usually made of a spongy material and fit entirely inside the nose.
Most often, a person with a nosebleed can stop the bleeding with a simple pinch of the nose until the blood clots and the bleeding stops. Sometimes, however, nosebleeds may be continuous and unresponsive to home remedies. In this situation, medical treatment is required.
A doctor may apply pressure to the nose and tell the patient to keep their head forward, in the same manner as with a home remedy, but typically the doctor also inserts material into the nose to encourage blood clotting. Sometimes doctors use surgical gauze dipped in ointment, but another possible option is a commercial nasal swab.
The procedure a doctor follows to fill the nasal cavity with gauze is relatively complex, as they must arrange the gauze in layers inside the nose. Because the nasal swab typically needs to stay inside the nose for several days, the gauze can also get stuck to dried blood and cause pain when removing it. Commercial nasal swabs are usually made from a spongy material, which can resist sticking better than gauze.
Another advantage of nasal swabs over gauze is that the sponge fits snugly inside the nasal cavity. The doctor does not need to pack gauze, but simply place a sponge inside the nose. At first, the sponge is firm, but as it absorbs blood, it grows in shape to fit the cavity, just like a regular menstrual pad.
Unlike a menstrual swab, which has a retrieval string that hangs outside the body, a nasal swab sits entirely inside the nose, and is therefore unobtrusive. The insertion and extraction process can be slightly painful for patients. Lubricant can help ease the insertion process, and another option is to spray a pain reliever into your nose before the nasal swab goes in.
Other possible medical solutions for severe nosebleeds include cauterizing the weakened blood vessel inside the nose. A balloon that a doctor inserts and then inflates can also stop a bleeding. Gel that foams inside the nose is another packaging option.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
