Bloody Noses

Nose bleeds can occur in children and adults for various reasons. Many times with kids, they can happen from falling and bumping the nose or getting hit in the nose with a ball when playing. The most important thing that you want to assess is if the nose is disfigured.  If it is, then it may be broken and should be looked at by your pediatrician.

 

If the nose is still in alignment then the next action would be to:

*apply pressure to the bridge of the nose

*have the child tilt head down to prevent blood from going down the back of the throat

*apply ice packs to help constrict blood vessels and decrease blood flow.

It can be scary to see a lot of blood coming from your child’s nose, but it is often not dangerous. The blood flow should start to slow down and stop within 10-15 minutes depending on to injury or cause. After the first ten minutes, release pressure from the bridge of the nose and see if the blood flow has stopped. If it hasn’t, then apply pressure for another 10 minutes. If bleeding continues after a second or third try, you should contact your pediatrician.

Other causes of bloody noses can be from the child having a dry nose or picking their nose. If the child’s nose is dry, you can apply moisturizer within the nose daily to prevent further bleeds.

-If your child has frequent nose bleeds, make sure to let their doctor know.

-If your child has a nose bleed related to head trauma, call 911.

For more information, please visit http://firstaid.webmd.com/nosebleeds-causes-and-treatments