Nose bleeds in Children

Although they can be scary, nosebleeds are rarely cause for alarm. Common in kids ages 3 to 10 years, nosebleeds often stop on their own and can be treated safely at home.

What to Do

• Stay calm and reassure your child.
• With your child upright in a chair or in your lap, tilt his or her head slightly forward.
• Gently pinch the nose (just below the bony ridge) with a tissue or clean washcloth.
• Keep pressure on the nose for about 10 minutes; if you stop too soon, bleeding may start again. It may also help to apply ice wrapped in a paper towel.
• Do not have your child lean back. This may cause blood to flow down the back of the throat, which tastes bad and may cause gagging, coughing, or vomiting.
• Have your child to rest for a while after a nosebleed. Discourage nose-blowing, picking, or rubbing, and any rough play.

Call the Doctor if your Child

• Have frequent nosebleeds
• May have put something in his or her nose
• Tends to bruise easily
• Has heavy bleeding from minor wounds or bleeding from another place, such as the gums
• Recently started taking new medicine

Seek Emergency Care or Call the Doctor if Bleeding

• Is heavy, or is accompanied by dizziness or weakness.
• Is the result of a fall or blow to the head?
• Continues after two attempts of applying pressure for 10 minutes each.

Preventing Future Nosebleeds

Most nosebleeds are caused by zealous blowing or picking, or a blow to the nose during rough play. 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. Colds, other viruses, and allergies may also irritate the lining of the nose.

To help prevent nosebleeds

• Keep your child's nails short to prevent picking.
• Keep the inside of your child's nose moist with saline nasal spray or dab petroleum jelly gently around the opening of the nostrils.
• Humidify your child's room with a vaporizer (or humidifier) if the air in your home is dry. Look for a cool mist model, as a hot steam humidifier could scald a child. Keep the machine clean to prevent mildew build-up. 

• Make sure your child wears protective athletic equipment when participating in sports that could cause a nose injury.

• If nosebleeds occur at night or if you live in a dry climate I would recommend using a humidifier in your child’s room at night.   Make sure to take proper care of your humidifier and clean it regularly.  Turn it off in the morning to allow your child’s room to air out during the day. 

• Another way to soothe and  moisturize the nasal passages is to use a saline nasal rinse, like a neti pot.  Nasal rinsing will also help clean pollen and other allergens out of the nasal passages.  This may be difficult for some children in the beginning, but gentle coaxing and persistence will pay off. 

• Nasya Oil –  Nasya oil is a traditional ayurvedic remedy for dry sinuses and chronic congestion.  Immerse the entire bottle of oil in warm to hot water to warm the oil.  Once the oil is warmed, apply a couple drops of the oil in the nose and gently message or tap the outside of the nose, working the oil into the sinus passage to help to moisten them.  Applying nasya oil after a nasal rinse in the morning and once again before bed is very helpful for dry nasal passages. 

•  Vitamin C and bioflavinoids will help strengthen capillaries, making them less prone to bleeding.  Eating citrus fruits with the pith, bell peppers, apples, watermelon, garlic and onions are an easy way to get extra Vitamin C and bioflavinoids in the diet.

• Vitamin K can help with proper blood clotting.  You can get added vitamin K in your child’s diet by incorporating homemade sauerkraut, grass-fed animal fats like homemade lard, raw dairy butter and raw cheese.  Vitamin K is also found in dark green leafy vegetables and cereal grasses like barley, wheat and oat grass.  Slipping some greens powder into a smoothie is a delicious way to get more vitamin K.

• Nettles Leaf Tea is a preventative treatment for nosebleeds as it will help strengthen capillaries and is beneficial for treating allergies.  Give 1/2 cup of tea 2 – 3 times per day until nosebleeds subside.

Each child’s situation is unique and if you find that your child is not responding to the recommendations above contact a qualified pediatric health practitioner for custom remedies.