Should I take my six year old brother to the doc because he WAS getting bloody noses every night?

Question

For about two weeks my little brother was getting bloody noses in the middle of the night. My father thought it might have been the air conditioning in his truck (he's a semi driver) but then he (my little brother) came to stay with me and he continued to wake up with them for the next five nights ....it has been about two weeks since then (he went back with my dad in the truck and then now he's back with me) and he hasn't had them since..I'm still worried about it because we never figured out why it was happening...so should we still be worried? My father is one of those....doctors don't help, he can fix anything kinda guys. Mainly it's because he can't afford doctor bills (I think)....but I'm not willing to let him ignore it....and possibly hurt my brother more by waiting for something worse.

Answer 1

Hi there! I wouldn't worry. Here's why: my guess is that the airconditioning in your dad's semi was drying out his nasal cavity and drying out the boogers in his nose. Your brother would then pick his nose before falling asleep or during the middle of the night to get out the dry boogers. The process of picking at his nose throughout the day and during the night, combined with a dry nasal cavity was enough cronic irritation to cause his nose to bleed. I think it bled for several weeks because he probably continued to pick his nose at your house, too. I bet if you had checked his fingernails the mornings after his bloody nose, you would see that they had dried blood on them.

I think the key to this problem is that your brother is 6 years old. The chance of a six year old having a tumor or something that would cause bleeding is probably a million times less than the chance that him picking his nose caused it.

Good for you for being such a great sister and taking care of your little brother. He is so lucky to have you! Don't worry about his nose now. If it starts happening again, ask him if he's been picking his nose or check his fingernails in the morning. To help him feel better you could put a tiny, tiny bit of vaseline or KY on a q-tip and run it along just the inside of his nose...not in there far, just in a tiny bit. You can also encourage him to drink more fluids, turn off the a/c, and put a humidifier in his room at night. Give the doctor a call if this doesn't help or if he starts having other symptoms. I am not a medical doctor, so this is just my opinion. My son picks his nose constantly and it bleeds all the time, so I thought it might be the same in your situation.

Good luck to you and your brother!

Answer 2

Very often little children get bloody noses because they pick them. Some children pick their noses kind of compulsively, and it weakens the membranes and makes the nose even more prone to bleeding. You can ask your brother if he picks his nose, but make sure you do it in a way where he won't feel embarrassed or ashamed about it. In any case, sleeping with a humidifier at night will help keep the mucous membranes in his nose moist, and if he does admit to picking his nose, ask him to do it less often. Most children who pick their nose grow out of it. It's just a way to pass the time for some, and some children actually find it comforting. If he is otherwise in good health, I would not take him to the doctor, unless your instincts tell you otherwise. If your gut is telling you something is wrong with him, then by all means take him for a checkup. Good luck.

Answer 3

When I was about 3 or 4, I had this same problem. I was getting bloody noses nearly every night. It turned out the air was too dry. Buy a small humidifier for his room at night. It just puts moisture into the atmosphere. Also you can try putting a little vaseline in his nostrils. This should clear it all up.

Answer 4

I was in the same situation and the doctor said that : The air in the room was too dry. Or the next thing is a start with sinus problems. It's nothing really to worry about. Try to see if someone can lend you a humidifier. Also, it maybe be the change in climates since he is traveling.

Answer 5

Your little brother should probably go see a doc just for safety's sake, cat. I will guess, however, that he is suffering from allergies. My family has nosebleeds too. We have capillaries near to the surface, they rupture and bleed. Then it stops. Sound familiar? It can be scary because there is so much blood! It is not life threatening, though, and we have grown out of it as we got older. Still, a doctor needs to be the one to say "don't worry". Go with your gut cat! Nana

Answer 6

Go to the doctor. But to ease you're mind, my kid got a bloody nose a lot, he just needed to keep his finger out of his nose. Possibly, your brother is picking his nose in his sleep. You're a good sis, take care of him. But don't worry too much.

Answer 7

Hi, I,m a Registered Nurse and would have concern as you do about my family in this situation. Is he picking his nose? Dose he have scabs in his nose? Do you live in a community where it is humid? Does he have Dry mucus membranes, or alergies. Does it run in the family? Possiblly: ( worst case) serranio blood clotting disorder. Good Luck Gold and God Bless Lori

Answer 8

I would take him. It's better to be safe than sorry and bloody noses can be a symptom of some conditions that could be serious. Take him! You're being a good sister! Good luck!

Answer 9

Yes he has a similar problem I used to have. The docs will cauterize his nose and help the bleeding permanently.

Answer 10

he might be dehydrated, if you can get him to drink more water and cut the soda and caffeine, it might help, the ac in the truck could have contributed because it does take the moisture out of the air