Nose Bleeds

Hi C..
I have had nose bleeds as well and it was due to dry heat in the winter and allergies. Once I got on a vitamin regimen (vitamin C and others), I have not had another one in years.
I hope this helps.
W.

I would definitely take her to the doctor. It could very easily be allergies, but it could also be a sign of something more serious. The sooner you get to the bottom of it, the sooner you can stop worrying. Good luck.

Hi C.,
You didn't say where you lived, but my first guess would be allergies. This started happening to my daughter around the same age. I'd look around at her in the car and-----Wow blood everywhere. Also, when she has a cold, the antihistamines can dry out her nose too much and cause the nose bleeds, too. I'd try a low dose of allergy medicine. A good way to stop the nose bleed is to press on her upper lip. Have her hold a pencil or a lipstick case on her top lip and the bleeding should stop. Good luck! L.

MY 19yo daughter use to have nose bleeds all the time. We had to have her nose cauterized twice. But what really seemed to help was keeping her nose moist. The skin inside the nose is very thin & the tiny blood vessels lay close to the surface. Therefore during allergy season or winter when we are using heaters the nose gets dried out & you can have unexpected nose bleeds. Hers would last upwards of 20 minutes.

Things we did when this happened were:
1. Do NOT lean her head back. When I was a kid this is exactly what we did and my mom always folded up a small piece of paper & put under our upper lip. Supposedly it applied pressure somewhere to stop the bleeding. Personally I think it was a ploy to get our minds off it, LOL. However, when you tilt the head back, the blood runs into their stomach & can make them sick. So have her lean slightly forward instead.
2. With your thumb & index finger pinch her nose just below the bridge of her nose. Don't pinch off her nostrils. It may take up to 20 minutes for it to stop but it will stop.
3. Keep her nose moist by using saline solution, NOT nose spray. Nasal sprays like Afrin are great for short term use in stopped up noses, but read the label. You aren't suppose to use them for more than 3 days at a time. Saline solution is made of salt/water and not addicting. It will keep her nose moist & should help reduce the amount of her nose bleeds.
4. And try & encourage her not to pick. Although you may not see her do it, when she says 'it itches' chances are she's scratching or picking...and may not be totally aware of it herself. She may be rubbing the outside roughly to try & stop the itching too.
5. Does she have any allergies? My 19yo has Celiac disease and nose bleeds are common in people with celiac. I have no idea why, but studies have shown it to be so.

I hope you find a solution in something I've written here. It can be frightening I know and not knowing when one will happen always makes you nervous. I think the saline will help a great deal and if she doesn't like it sprayed you probably can drip it into her nose. Another thing to look into is a Neti Pot to help keep her moist in there. She may prefer in that something's not getting shot up her nose but I've been told that it's a process to get use to as well. You can see what that is here: http://www.oprah.com/health/oz/oz_20070426_350_105.jhtml No Oprah drives me nuts, LOL, but I like Dr. Oz. And of the websites I looked at, he explains it very well.

SO I hope you find a solution soon, it's not fun to have this happen.

I would definitely recommend taking her to the doctor to get it checked out just to make sure it isn't allergies or anemia. I had terrible nosebleeds when I was little until I was a teenager, and I still get them on occasion. The bleeding would last for up to 2 hours. I lived in a dry climate and eating chocolate would trigger them, too.

I would try to put vaseline/petroleum jelly in her nose in the morning, just inside the nostril to keep it moist. If her nose is "itching" it is probably because it is dry. Also, a hunidifier in her room at night might help, too. You can get a cheap one at Walmart for around $20...maybe even less.

As for dealing with her nosebleeds when they happen...
DO NOT have her tilt her head back, the blood will run down her throat and can cause her to vomit, or she will have to "hack up" the blood clot, neither of which is fun. INSTEAD, have her pinch the bridge of her nose and lean forward (I usually rest my elbows on my knees) holding a washcloth to her nose to catch the blood and breathing through her mouth. If it doesn't stop within 5-10 minutes, have her try to GENTLY blow her nose and then put ice in a washcloth and pinch the bridge of her nose with that, still holding the washcloth to catch the blood.

Remember to remain calm, I know that no mother likes to see their child bleed, but if you get all worked up over it, she will, too. I learned very early to relax because my mom relaxed and just dealt with the problem, so I was rarely anxious about the nosebleeds.

When you talk to the doctor, you may want to ask if cautorization would help (it's where they burn the capillaries on the inside of the nostrils to build up scar tissue so they don't bleed as often.) I had it done twice and it would help for a little while but it didn't every stop the nosebleeds completely.

Sorry, I know this is a lot of information, but I sortof consider myself an expert on how to deal with nosebleeds. :-) I hope things get better!

Could be a few things..dry air..allergies..a cold..high blood pressure..yes high blood pressure that is how we found out my ex had it.He constantly had nose bleeds.Check with your doctor..good luck..
S. B

Our doctor suggested that we put some Vaseline on a Q-tip and apply it to the inside of our son's nose to keep it from drying out. We also try to make he drinks enough water now.

My son was in elementary school when he started to have nosebleeds, just suddenly like that without having a cold or bothering his nose, etc. Sometimes he'd have 2 or 3 in a week and then none for a couple of months, during which time I'd forget about it. Occasionally he'd have one in his sleep and wake with a bloody pillow. Once we were on vacation and a nosebleed started when he was in the shower - he stopped it with a fluffy white hotel towel and the housekeeper must have thought someone was killed in there!! I took him to the pediatrician at one point who did something in his nose, can't really remember what, but it didn't work. Finally, after dealing with this for several years, he came home from school with a bloody shirt and said he had been sitting in class and suddenly had a nosebleed. So despite his protests, we went to the ENT who had taken out his tonsils & adenoids when he was 5. There was a tiny blood vessel not very far up in his nose - the doc showed it to me and it was obvious that's where the trouble was. It was right at the surface and was easily irritated and then would bleed. The doc cauterized it and said my son must not sneeze for a week and showed him how to keep from sneezing. He got through that week and has never had a nosebleed since (he's now 20).

I'm certainly not saying this is your daughter's problem but thought I'd post it for anyone else whose child has been having nosebleeds.

Sounds like allergies and dryness, I would put a cool mist humidifier in her room

I have experienced the same with my son (7) who has severe allergies which lead to sinus problems. Since going to the allergist and being on prescription allergy meds we do't have this problem near as often. Also, a little vaseline or neosporin on a q-tip and coating the inside of the nose helps with dryness that often causes the bleeding. It wouldn't hurt to call the pediatrician and consult with them about any suggestions they may have or even have your daughter seen by an allergist. Your peditrician can help to suggest one for you and get a referal so that you can get in a lot quicker. Good Luck. I know it can be frustrating.

My daughter is also 5 and has nose bleeds this time of year.She had them last year and we have had one this week. I start giving her Claritin grape chewable tablets (one a day) and they go away. They are not cheap but they seem to help. The nose bleeds seem to happen when she is outside in the air.

Could be alergy related. Also when the inside of the nose gets too dry it will crack and bleed. Try a humidifier or salinf nasla spray if she will let you do it. I know my son wouldn't!! We had the same problem and the humidifier worked. if it doesn't then I would take her to the pediatrician cuz it could be a sign of something else. Good Luck!

i had nose bleeds all my life,,my mom started using some thing very simple and was cheap,,my grandfather smoked and he rolled his cigarette,,she would fold the paper until very small and place under my top lip,with in seconds the bleeding stopped,,i still do this these days,

sounds like a very dry nasal passage. This can come from being in a very stuffy atmosphere to allergies or even a reaction to allergy medications. The causes vary greatly. I was told by my dr. that I should take a qtip with vaseline or other petroleum jelly and swab inside the nostril. You may find a very mild nasal spray for this condition. Either would keep the area moist and prevent future nose bleeds.
I have suffered with nose bleeds for years. I have a son who also has them. They can be hard to stop. But if you put ice on the back of the neck, just at the base of the skull, while pinching the nose at the highest point of the bridge, they should stop much faster.

I bet she has allergies.

My daughter had reacuring bleeds for years...we found at about age 5 she had low iron. Stll does at age 25.We use slow release Iron tablets.I have it as well.
To stop a bleed you can use Vitamin E on a Q Tip. Orange juice removes the blood stains!

It sounds like she has developed allergies. I would talk to you doctor about it, for sure, but until then you can try saline nose spray to sooth any irritation and it will also help rinse out any allergens. When the nose is bleeding you should have her lean forward, not back, and pinch her nose up at the top of the cartilage. Good luck.

My son used to get nose bleeds (and still does on occasion).
They also started when he was around 5. He's now 17.
Normally it was in the winter...he'd have one in his sleep!
During the rest of the year it was sporatic (sp?).
They aren't just little drippers either. They are gushers!

The dry air did it to him as did some pollens/molds. The air never seemed dry to me but his nose said it was.
What I had done was put a pan of water in front of the heating system and also had a humidifier for his room. If the room is small I would suggest moving it to any room near his bedroom and keep his door open. You don't want him to get a chill.
As he got older I stopped the humidifier and just kept his windows cracked open an inch.

In the pollen months I finally just broke down and gave him some benadryl. It never made him sleepy so I had no problems in school.

The lack of humidity seemed to be the cause. Even now where we live (we moved to a new region..north to south) he will have some bouts of it. It will always be on those dry windy days too. Normally we have high humidity so things are good for his nose.

Good luck

My oldest daughter (now 17) has been prone to nosebleeds since she was 3 or 4. She tends to get them during allergy season, when she's blowing her nose a lot. This time of year, it's likely your daughter's nosebleed was triggered was blowing, rubbing, or picking.

Rinsing her nose with saline solution, which you can get at the drugstore, can help with the itching. Antihistimines will reduce blowing or post-nasal drip.

Our doctor checked for high blood pressure, which can cause nosebleeds, but this wasn't a problem for my daughter.

Best wishes,
C.

It sounds like everybody else has covered the possible causes of dry air (use a humidifier maybe), allergies, etc.

So I thought I would mention another possible cause - vitamin deficiency. Especially Vitamin C & K. Do a google search for - nosebleeds vitamin deficiency - and you will find some great articles.

Good luck!

it's probably allergies. saline nasal spray and an otc allergie med will probably help.

My son had nose bleeds a lot as a little boy and when he was about ll he had one that wouldn't stop. The doctor said the vessels grew low into his nose and he cortorized the vessels, in the hospital as an outpatient, and he hasn't had a nose bleed since....he is now 27.

K.

I sometimes get nose bleeds especially during allergy season. Sometimes if I am getting a lot of them I will put a little vaseline in my nose. It sounds strange and feels kinda weird but it helps. If you aren't sure if you should go to a doctor try calling a nurse(many medical plans let you do this for free), and seeing what they suggest. Good Luck.

Yes, you probably should take her to the doctor to find out exactly what is causing the nose bleed. Make sure she didn't put anything in her nose. Kids tend to do that out of curiosity.

I also use neosporine and a q-tip for my dry nose. It feels a little funky at first, but the releif if instant.

That used to happen to me when I was a kid. I have no idea why. Sometimes there would be a reason but often it would just start out of the blue. It was very scary for me. I think mine started around 5 years old as well. Nothing ever came of it and I just outgrew it but I would take her to the doctor just to ease your mind. I bet she is having sinus trouble but I am no doctor. I have read some of these responses and I tend to agree about the allergies. I suffer from allergies and they have been worse since I moved to East Tennessee. I am originally from MIchigan. Dr. Overhault is a good ENT if you would rather go to a specialist. They have two locations Parkwest ###-###-#### and Ft. Sanders ###-###-####. Good luck!!

.

My son typically gets nosebleeds whenever the weather changes and frequently in the spring because of allergies.

First you might want to make sure there isn't a foreign object in her nose. Once you rule that out, try keeping moisture in her bedroom. Air is usually drier in the winter and is made worse with the heat running - but air conditioning in the summer can have the same effect.

I use a cool mist humidifier in my son's room year-round. Some other moms suggested vaseline in the nostrils - but I chose not to do this because vaseline is thick and can trap bacteria. Instead I use nasal saline drops and just squirt them in his nose every other day (every day was a bit much). My son is on various allergy medications (one of which is flonase, a nasal spray). Since we've gotten his allergies mostly under control, his nosebleeds are infrequent now.

It looks like a lot of blood but it's really not that much. Make sure you keep your cool when you see the blood gushing so that your daughter can keep her cool, too.

You might also want to take her to the doc to make sure that there isn't an underlying illness or injury causing the nose bleeds, expecially since she never had them before.

Best of luck to you!
~S.

Nosebleeds are caused by the membranes in the nose being to dry. My son gets them all the time because of allergies. Try to make a habit of taking a Qtip with some neosporin and rubbing it up inside each nostril every morning. This will keep it moist and prevent the nosebleeds.