Although nosebleeds can be alarming, did you know that only 10 percent of nosebleeds require medical attention?
However, seeing blood spurting from your child’s head is always going to be understandably worrying. Additionally, the most severe nosebleeds usually happen in children between two and ten years old.
Learning about when to act could be the difference between a wasted trip to the emergency room or having a seriously sick child because you didn’t go.
If you’d like to know more about managing nosebleeds in children, read on to find out more.
How to Reduce the Severity of Nosebleeds
When a nosebleed starts, you can do a few things to help stop it in its tracks. Always do these steps before panicking, and remember that most nosebleeds will stop on their own.
First, keep your child sitting upright to help blood drain from the nose instead of going back into the throat. Then, apply a cold compress to the bridge of their nose to help with vasoconstriction (blood vessels get smaller).
Finally, get them to hold the end of their nose for around five minutes, blocking the blood from flowing.
When to Contact a Doctor
The first thing to remember is that most children get nosebleeds every now and again. However, you should always look out for the following things and contact a doctor if you notice them:
- Chronic nosebleeds in children
- Multiple nosebleeds in a day
- Nosebleeds that last longer than 20 minutes
- Objects stuck in a child’s nose causing bleeding
- An alarming amount of blood loss
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Tiredness
- Trouble breathing
If you notice these symptoms, you should contact a pediatrician, such as the ones available here: www.provopediatrics.com, or take them to the emergency room.
How to Prevent Nosebleeds
Frequent nosebleeds in children can still be worrying even if they never need medical care. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to help reduce the chances of getting nosebleeds. These include:
- Use saline drops to keep the nose moist
- Use a humidifier in the house
- Discourage them from hard nose blowing
- Make sure they aren’t smoking!
- Trim their nails if they’re a nose picker (or encourage them not to)
The causes of nosebleeds in children are usually either nose dryness or nose picking, so luckily these steps will usually help stop them.
However, it may be worth visiting a doctor if you’re still noticing frequent nosebleeds in children after doing all these steps.
Nosebleeds In Children: A Common Occurrence
Although nosebleeds in children are common, you still need to be armed with both knowledge and tissues to help manage the situation. Remember, there’s no need to panic, but definitely stay vigilant.
You ensure the lowest chance of your child suffering nosebleed complications by following these tips.
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