To be really f*cking worried about this

[sugarandnutmeg]

I’ve got my final undergrad exam tomorrow at uni and I’m terrified of having a nosebleed during it.

I suffered badly from nosebleeds as a young teenager however they stopped when I was around 15 and I rarely got them after this. But over the last few weeks I’ve had some ferocious nosebleeds- the worst was running and dripping away for over 2 hours before stopping. I had one last night and woke up with the blood all over my pillow and in my mouth, it was horrible. I can tell when the nosebleeds are going to stop because they just run away until I pass a huge clot- once this comes out my nose, I know the nosebleed is coming to an end. Sometimes it’s 30 minutes, other times it’s 2+ hours.

but I’ve got a huge exam tomorrow for uni (4th year) and I’m terrified of my nose bleeding during it. I’m sleeping up right tonight in case it starts again during the night as I don’t want to lie flat. I’ve also vaselined my nose so it’s not dry and cracked. It doesn’t feel dry but I’m guessing it must be.

is there any other way I can reduce my chances of it bleeding? It’s always at the most inconvenient time and I’m terrified it suddenly bursts during the exam and disrupts it when I’m already nervous enough about the exam itself

We’ll first of all you need to see a doctor about the nosebleeds… that’s not normal. Then you need to plan ahead on the off chance you get one tomorrow. Pack extra paper towels, tissues, hankies, whatever to get you through your test.

Good luck!

Stay warm, keep a beanie on your head, a snood around your neck and over your nose outside if need me.

After tomorrow, go to your GP about it. You will likely need to have it cauterised. They out a drop of acid onto the area to basically cause it to scar, is that you have a thick layer that doesn't come off in cold weather, with colds etc. I was told they need to do it within a day of a nosebleed so that they can see where to do go.

However, if you suffer from really major ones you'll need a referral to an ENT as they can use a higher strength acid.

It doesn't hurt in the slightest.

Posted too soon - when I tried to get back to see the ENT within the 24 hour window I had to really force the issue as the admins just wouldn't give me a time slot. I hate to say it, but with the way the NHS is now you might have to pay to do it privately, if you go down the ENT route.

Hopefully your GP will help you though. Just make sure if they want to see you in that 24 hour window after a nose bleed that they really clear notes on your file so the receptionists let you make that appointment.

You don't just have to let a nosebleed run forever without doing anything about it - you can roll up some tissue and pop it in your nostril like a tampon to encourage it to clot. That should suffice for the purposes of preventing any issues during an exam.

Interesting that you had them during a high stress period in your life (teenage years, exams etc) and they are now back at a similar high stress period.....

I was the same with migraines and only made the connection during lockdown when they suddenly stopped as I was no longer doing my high stress job. Actually, it wasnt me that pointed it out, it was my sister.

Maybe a blood pressure related thing? Do you tend towards palpitations/headaches/feeling faint when you are stressed? Definitely worth seeing the doctor.

But I agree that the best thing to do is prepare as well as you can for having a bad one, and then hoping you dont. Preparing for the worst always makes me feel a lot less stressed in these sort of situations. As I tell the kids "If you take a coat, it wont rain, but if you go in a T Shirt, it will piss it down!"

OP if you're still up, or if you read this in the morning, please stop worrying about the possible nosebleed. If it happens, it happens. You'll be allowed to take the exam with the resit students later in the year. Concentrate on the exam as much as you can and if you do get a nosebleed make sure the invigilator knows, don't try to pretend it's not happening or try to deal with it yourself surreptitiously. The invigilator should prepare a report and you may have to apply to the Mitigating Circumstances Committee or whatever your uni's equivalent is, but you should get it on the nod.

And go see a doctor!

(Ex uni lecturer and mit circs panel member here.)

Another academic here who has sat on many Mitigating Circumstances panels.

OP, I’m really sorry this is happening but it’s obviously not your fault and I agree with @Gymnopedie. If you get a nosebleed during an exam, seek help from a proctor immediately. Explain briefly - you may want to think a bit about how to do this calmly in advance. The proctor will put in a report and you will need to file a Mit Circs petition, with evidence - you can ask for a copy of the proctor’s report and probably use it. If you have sought medical help for the bleeds in the past getting a letter from a HCP you have seen would also be helpful. I also think you will get through on a nod, if you do everything right.

Best wishes.

Can't find the best image but tie up the fingers of a latex or nitrile glove with water leaving the index and middle finger free. Fill with water and freeze. You will have a perfect shape to sit on the bridge of your nose and stop any bleeding fast. Learnt this from a pub I used to work in. Maybe wrap in a towel amd put in bag or ask it to be kept just outside the exam rm. Good luck.

www.google.com/search?q=latex.glove+fill.with+water+to.make.ice+to.stop.nosebleeds&client=ms-android-samsung-rvo1&source=android-browser&prmd=vsin&sxsrf=APwXEdfXcYz8Urfqr9cPWcBQ2FPwT3nbVg:1683601095151&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi87eDpnuf-AhXLUMAKHdMhDJAQ_AUoA3oECAUQAw&biw=384&bih=686&dpr=1.88#imgrc=uMNh5RnsYQ2gxM

Oh dear I am tired. Hopefully you can see what I mean..

My two boys gave suffered nose bleeds. Youngest the worst. They are linked to hay-fever. So would an antihistamine help?
Try to stay cool.
Try to keep your BP down, do not run.

If it does happen - cotton wall up the nose/ lilets applicator free tampons - would get you through the exam.

The thing you say about passing the clot....mine find that blowing that out about 20 mins in ( have lots of tissues to hand and do it gently) - stops it.

Good luck with the exam.

See your doctor.
If the worst does happen, there will be a witness in the invigilator, an incident report can be completed, and there will be opportunity for you to either do a make up assessment or sit the exam another time. There will be processes in place.

My ENT consultant prescribed Sterimar saline spray to moisturise nasal passages. I get a bleed high in my left nostril. The spray prevents it.

Good morning @sugarandnutmeg . I hope you got some sleep. I have also suffered from nosebleeds all my life (I'm in my early 50s), and have seen many doctors and have had my nose cauterised, but it makes little difference. I had my tonsils and adenoids out when l was 13, which was meant to help but didn't. One doctor once told me that people who'd been premature babies could be more vulnerable. I was, but not much I can do about that!

I find that pollen irritates my nose, so I take an antihistamine tablet at this time of year to try and reduce the likelihood of a nosebleed. May be worth trying?

Good luck. Maybe see a GP after your exams are done. Obviously I don't know how much medical help you've already sought.

Hope the exam went well and was nosebleed free!