Nose bleeds in children

For a parent, nose bleeds in children can be extremely distressing. Seeing your child bleeding, often heavily is not a very nice experience, but many parents are confused as to the best form of treatment. Many try to remedy the situation by incorrectly getting the child to lean back, pinching the bridge of their nose, putting ice on the bridge of their nose, or simply letting it bleed until it stops on its own. With any or all of these steps for nose bleeds in children, it is not uncommon for a nosebleed to last for 45 minutes or longer. A far more successful solution for nose bleeds in children would be to have the child lean forward and squeeze the tip or soft part of the nose, just below the bony part, so that the nostrils are closed.

Nose bleeds in children are very common between the ages of 3 to 10 years and particularly with the younger child it can create a lot of anxiety, so staying calm is of the essence. Prevention is obviously the best cure for nose bleeds in children, so if you can establish a cause then it may be possible to avoid further episodes. Most nose bleeds in children are caused by zealous blowing or picking, therefore it’s advisable to keep the child’s nails short. In the wintertime, especially, if your child's bed is near a heater, the membranes inside the nose can become dried and itchy, causing your child to pick at his or her nose and further irritate the nasal tissue and this very often leads to nose bleeds in children. Keep the inside of your child's nose moist with saline nasal spray or dab petroleum jelly gently around the opening of the nostrils.