What causes a bloody Nose and How to stop IT

Written By kim seaton-smith

One of the things I have been asked about frequently over the years is nosebleeds. Nosebleeds can look scary, especially when your child suddenly has blood dripping from their nose but nosebleeds are actually very common in kids and not usually a serious issue.

Why Nosebleeds Happen in Children

The inside of the nose has lots of tiny blood vessels close to the surface, especially in the front part of the nose. These can break pretty easily which causes a nosebleed. There are a number of things that cause this to happen.

  1. Nose picking or rubbing the nose: This is probably the #1 reason in kids. Anytime a finger is placed in the nose it can irritate the lining of the nose which causes the nose to bleed.

  2. Dry air: During dry seasons or winter when the heater is on, or in the summer when the AC is on, the inside of the nose dries out, making it more likely to bleed.

  3. Nasal congestion: Anytime the nose is stuffy, either from allergies or a cold, the lining of the inside of the nose swells which causes the blood vessels to bleed.

  4. Injury: Bumping the nose during playing or sports can trigger bleeding.

  5. Blowing the nose too hard or sometimes suctioning a baby or toddler’s nose can also trigger nosebleeds.

How to Treat a Nosebleed at Home

If your child’s nose starts bleeding just remember to stay calm. Most nose bleeds stop in 10 minutes or less.

  1. Have your child sit  and lean slightly forward.
    Don’t have them tilt their head back — that can cause them to swallow blood, which might lead to coughing or vomiting.

  2. Pinch the soft part of the nose, right below the bony bridge. Pinching the upper part of the nose does not work because most nosebleeds come from the bottom part of the nose.
    Use your thumb and index finger and hold firmly for 10 full minutes. Then check to see if the bleeding has stopped. If the nose is still bleeding hold for another 10 minutes then check again.

  3. Almost all nosebleeds will stop with this technique.

  4. I do not recommend packing the nose with gauze or tissue because once you remove the gauze it will pull out the clot that has formed to stop the bleeding and the bleeding may start all over again.

  5. Once your child has a bloody nose it may re-bleed off an on for a few days until the inside of the nose heals completely. If this is happening you can place a little petroleum jelly on a qtip and gently line the lower part of the nose where the scab is to help prevent re-bleeding. You can apply this once or twice a day for a few days.

  6. If the nose bleeds for longer than 20 minutes take your child to the ER. You may need help getting the bleeding to stop.

  7. One thing to keep in mind is that if your child swallowed some of the blood they may have dark stools for the next 1-2 days.

 Tips to Prevent Nosebleeds

If your child gets intermittent nosebleeds you can try a humidifier at night to help keep the inside of the nose from drying out. You can also use saline spray to the nose to help keep it moist. Keeping your child from putting their fingers in the nose will also help prevent nosebleeds.

When to Get Help

Most nosebleeds are harmless, but it’s important to know when to get help. As mentioned previously, go to ER for nosebleeds that last longer than 20 minutes. If there is heavy bleeding or if your child looks weak or pale take them to the ER for additional evaluation. If there was an injury and you think the nose was broken then go right to the ER.

 See your pediatrician if:

  • The nosebleeds happen more than a couple of times a week or are frequent

  • Your child is under 2 years old and having nosebleeds

  • If the nose bleeds only happen from one side of the nose and it’s the same side with almost every nose bleed. Sometimes there is a vein in the back that keeps rebleeding and may need to be cauterized.

  • There are other symptoms, like easy bruising or bleeding gums, or if there is a family history of a bleeding problem. The pediatrician may consider doing some tests.

So in summary, most nosebleeds in kids are caused by dry air, nasal congestion or nose picking, they usually stop quickly with pressure, and they rarely mean something serious.

If you are ever unsure or worried, it’s always okay to call your pediatrician. That is what we are here for.

 

kim seaton-smith
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