What causes nose bleeding in children?

Question

we have a boy of 11 years who started nose bleeding some time last year. since the first time he has got this problem another 3 times including today first thing in the morning. what could be the cause and what emergency treatment can one give?

Answer 1

There are many causes of nosebleeds but most commonly the bleeding is from trauma or inflammation. The trauma can be from sneezing, a finger in the nose or even a bump to the nose. Inflammation is generally from a cold or allergies or the medicines used for those conditions. More unusual causes exist also. Occasionally, some children will have bleeding disorders that present with recurrent nosebleeds. Rarely, a tumor in the nose can cause recurrent bleeding from only one side. Other cancers can cause nosebleeds but this is not the only sign in most cases. Not to be forgotten is the nosebleed from a foreign body inserted in the nose that causes trauma and inflammation.

In the event of a nosebleed, it is advisable to put pressure on the nose while asking the child to lean forward. Leaning backward will allow the blood to drain into the belly and cause some children to vomit up the blood later. Sometimes the forceful vomiting can cause the nose to bleed again. Nose spray or drops with a decongestant such as Neo-Synephrine or Afrin can be used to shrink the vessels and help stop the bleeding. After the nose has stopped bleeding it pays to consider what it may take to prevent further nosebleeds. The nose takes some time to heal and in the mean time even slighter trauma may cause the nose to bleed again. A humidifier can be used to provide more moisture in the air as drying the nasal mucosa out causes more bleeding. Using cotton swabs to insert Vaseline into the nose also helps lubricate the nose.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Nose bleeds can be caused by relatively mundane things like dryness of the mucous membranes inside the nose to some very serious things. If the nosebleeds are very frequent you should take him to the doctor. If the nose is bleeding you can put an ice pack against the nose, or you can pinch the bridge of the nose between your fingers to try and stop the bleeding. Do not tip the head back as this will only succeed in getting the blood to run down the back of the throat.

Answer 4

best not to tilt the head back as it causes swallowing of blood , which the stomach cannot cope with. use ice at the top of the nose and bend forward, a little pressure is fine but not too much as when you release the clots will displace causing it to bleed again. being over heated or over active can cause this. medical conditions may also be the cause, however it is not uncommon in the young and could be a hereditary trait. if you are worried and it bleeds longer than 15 Min's, seek medical advice, Quarterising may be an option but only if excessive, however it is not always successful. i found that after a certain age my nosebleeds stopped altogether. good luck and try not to panic, just alert friends and school teachers to the fact so they can act accordingly.

Answer 5

If there extra ordinary heat or A/C will causes for nose bleeding. Anyhow will take to the doctor will be safe .I was about to faint ,When My baby's nose was bleed once . We called 911 and They said the reason for the bleeding is we put heater too much . Also bleeding was stopped after while.
High pressure causes nose bleeding too. If he will get cold often will be another reason.

Anyhow to get satisfied you will consider with doctor will be good.

Answer 6

Please don't follow the instructions to tilt the head upwards - it only causes the blood to flow down the throat and may risk causing the poor boy to have dried blood encrusting his wind-pipe. The ENT specialist that I met recommends to look downwards and pinching the nose tightly while only breathing through the mouth. If the boy has no blood related problems, the blood should clot within 1 minute.

There are many possible causes of nose bleeds - suggest you bring the boy to see a doctor, if the General Practictioner cannot give you an answer, request that he/she recommend to you an ENT (Ear-Nose-Throat) Specialist to look into it.

Answer 7

it could partially be from the heat... if you are in a very very dry climate ( arizona type area). theDRY-NESS that causes it, not the heat... humid areas are a different story. SO, not dehydrated, tho always let him drink plenty of fluids when the temp gets that hot... The nose has a thin membrane-like structure that keeps hte blood back... picking it (irritating it thru fingers) or really dry heat ( winter time by a radiator) will cause the membrane to open up, crack in a way, and blood comes thru... persistent nosebleeds in the heat ( again, if it is dry heat) can be remedied easily by a HUMIDIFIER. If you are in a humid area ( humidity greater than 60-70% humidity) then perhaps he should see a doctor... for piece of mind.

Answer 8

There are several causes for the nosebleed including trauma (such as hitting the nose), fracture (broken nose), pressure (such as may be caused by altitude), anticoagulant (anti-clotting) medication, excessively dry air, excessive nose-picking, allergic rhinitis and high blood pressure among the elderly. Some rare diseases that may cause nosebleeds are Wegener's granulomatosis and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT, Rendu-Osler-Weber disease); sarcoidosis, when it involves the nose, has been reported to cause nosebleeds. von Willebrand disease may cause nosebleeds. In some rare cases, the cause of a nosebleed can be cancer of the head and neck or nasal polyps.

Both the frequency of spontaneous epistaxis and the length and severity of bleeding can be increased by anticoagulants. These may include prescription medications such as warfarin or aspirin as well as herbal supplements such as ginkgo. Cultures with a diet rich in fish sources that include high levels of omega-3 fatty acids (especially the Inuit) have also been observed to experience a higher incidence of nosebleeds. Athletes and bodybuilders who supplement their diets with fish oil also report increased frequency of nosebleeds.

The flow of blood normally stops when the blood clots, which may be encouraged by direct pressure. Medical opinion is divided on whether the best position to apply pressure is the bridge of the nose or the fleshy part. As part of First aid the old position of holding the head backwards has been removed from training, this is because there were cases of a sort where the blood clotted on the mouth of the wind pipe, causing suffocation, the new way is to tilt your head forward, bung it with a tissue and to apply pressure to the sides of the bridge of the nose. Petroleum jelly is often used to stop the blood from seeping out, but should not be used[citation needed]; as it is petroleum based, it actually further dries out the nasal cavity .

Chronic epistaxis resulting from a dry nasal mucosa is often treated by spraying saline in the nose up to three times per day.

If pressure, ice on the bridge of the nose, application of a vasoconstrictor, or other techniques do not work, a nasal tampon is usually the next step. The nasal tampon stops the bleeding by applying pressure from inside of the nose and is usually kept in for 1-3 days.

Persistent epistaxis is an indication for urgent medical consultation. Nasal packing, cryosurgery, electrocautery or application of trichloroacetic acid are options that may be used in severe epistaxis.

It is uncommon to die from bleeding through nosebleeds. However, damage to the maxillary artery can lead to rapid blood loss via the nose and present difficulty in treatment, pressure, vasoconstrictor and rhinocort occasionally proving ineffective. Ligation of the artery, risking damage to the facial nerves, may be the only solution.

Nevertheless, severe protracted nosebleeds may cause anemia due to iron deficiency.

Answer 9

Lots of things contribute to nose bleeds in children such as allergies, climate, weak veins. However it isnt an issue to be concerned about unless your child is a hemophiliac. I used to get nose bleeds all the time because of my weak veins and the dry climate that I lived in.

Answer 10

try ice first off and tilit the head up. But a lot of time that problem is only dehydration. If your truly concerned, because that could be a sign of some hemorraging in the brain, and things like that...contact your doctor.