Does a general practice perform nasal cautery?

Nasal cautery treats a small, identifiable blood vessel that repeatedly bleeds from the front of the nose. The clinician first examines the nasal lining and may use a local anaesthetic to improve comfort. A chemical or electrical method is then applied to seal the bleeding point. Cautery is not suitable for every nosebleed, particularly when bleeding is heavy, the source cannot be seen or there may be a deeper cause. The treated area may feel tender or crusty while it heals.

Tell the practice how often the bleeding occurs, which nostril is affected, how long episodes last and whether you take blood-thinning medicine. During an active nosebleed, sit upright, lean forward and pinch the soft part of the nose continuously while breathing through your mouth. Avoid picking, forceful blowing and strenuous activity after treatment unless your clinician gives different instructions. Follow advice about keeping the lining moist.

Seek urgent help if bleeding is heavy, follows a significant injury, causes faintness or breathing difficulty, or continues despite firm pressure. Urgent assessment is also needed when blood is flowing into the throat or when you take anticoagulant medicine and cannot control the bleeding. Repeated episodes with easy bruising or unusual bleeding elsewhere deserve medical review.

Ask whether the bleeding point is visible, which cautery method is available, how to care for the nose afterwards, what alternatives exist and when referral is needed.