Bloody noses in children

Nosebleeds-Introduction

When someone has a nosebleed, it means that the blood is coming from inside the nose, most commonly from broken blood vessels. Although they happen very often with children age two to ten, if it happens very often, the parents might find this very frightening. However, more often than not, a nosebleed is only an annoyance rather than anything serious. And, they will usually stop on theirown.

Prevention

Sometimes, it is useful to know a few tricks that may help parents prevent nosebleeds happening to their children. Air humidifiers are of great help, while they help the membranes of the nose stay moist, therefore less prone to bleeding episodes. If the child is sleeping next to a heat source, that may also be the reason for nosebleeds (while it dries out the inner membranes of the nose as the child is breathing), so its bed should be moved as far away from the heat source as possible. Parents should make sure their child eats plenty of food rich in vitamin C, which helps strengthen the blood vessels. Also, it is very important that they keep their child’s fingernails short. Children often pick their nose, thus harming the blood vessels.

Causes of Bloody Noses

There are various causes of nosebleeds, the most common being:

Trauma to the nose. Children often play recklessly, and as a result, they hurt themselves. The nose is on a vulnerable position on the face, and it is one of the most injured parts of the body in children. Also, sometimes, blowing the nose too hard can bring about a rupture in the blood vessels. Allergies. Particularly during the spring, some children are more susceptible to the increased pollen counts in the air that cause allergies. They, then, lead to nose membranes starting to bleed. Nose picking. As stated above, children often pick their nose, and by doing this , they irritate the inner layers of the nose. Foreign bodies. Also, it is very well known that kids put a lot of things in their nose. This, in some cases, leads to their harming the blood vessels and then the nose starts to bleed. Common cold. Sometimes, a cold is the reason. These nosebleeds are not dangerous and frequently stop on their own. Nasal polyps. Not only polyps, but other abnormal structures in the nose like a deviated septum may be the cause.

First Aid

First of all, someone should distract the child. In most cases, although the nosebleeds are not dangerous, they can be frightening. It is important that the child be placed to sit in an upright position and slightly tilt its head forward. Then, the parent should gently pinch the child’s nose with a tissue and hold it like that for about ten minutes. After that, the parent should not let the child pick, touch or scratch the nose as it may induce another bleeding. If the bleeding does not stop, and lasts for more than 20 minutes, or the child is having trouble breathing, a doctor should be consulted.