$Unique_ID{PAR00128}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Nosebleeds}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Nosebleeds Bleeding nostrils mouth Vomiting blood nosebleed petroleum
jelly vaporizer humidifier cold compresses nose drops cotton gauze septum
dilate dilated dilating blood vessels rupture ruptures allergic reaction head
cold breathing heated air dried nasal membranes dry membrane sneeze sneezing
cough coughing blowing nose rubbing scratching throat esophagus}
$Log{}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Nosebleeds


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     - Bleeding from one or both nostrils or from the mouth
     - Vomiting blood

     HOME CARE
     - To stop a nosebleed, compress the entire soft portion of the nose--not
       just the nostrils--between the thumb and fingers for ten minutes.
     - Teach your child at an early age how to stop a nosebleed by himself.
     - To prevent nosebleeds, apply petroleum jelly to the insides of the
       nostrils morning and evening for up to 14 days.
     - Use a vaporizer or humidifier in the child's room.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - A child with a nosebleed should not lie down.
     - Stay calm, and do not let the child panic.
     - Do not use cold compresses, nose drops, or other household remedies;
       they are not necessary.
     - Do not pack the child's nose with cotton or gauze.


     Nosebleeds are as inevitable a part of childhood as scraped knees and
bruised shins.  Ninety-nine percent of nosebleeds are caused by the rupture of
tiny blood vessels in the septum, the midline partition of the nose, which is
located about one-quarter inch in from the nostrils.  These small blood
vessels are easily broken by a minor blow to the nose, and the scab that forms
during healing is easily disturbed by rubbing or picking, which starts the
bleeding again.  This sequence of events may be further aggravated by having
an allergic reaction or a head cold that causes the blood vessels in the nose
to dilate; by breathing heated air, which dries out the nasal membranes; by
sneezing, coughing, and blowing the nose; or by rubbing and scratching the
nose, especially during sleep (most nosebleeds start at night).

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     Since the two sides of the nose join in the back and also join with the
throat and the esophagus (which lead to the stomach), blood may flow from both
nostrils and from the mouth, and the child may also vomit blood.

     HOME CARE

     Teach your child at an early age how to stop a nosebleed by himself.
Tell the child to remain calm and to sit upright with the head held high; this
will decrease the pressure in the blood vessels.  Show the child how to grasp
the whole lower half of the nose between the thumb and fingers and in this way
compress both sides of the nose firmly against the septum.  The child should
hold the nose this way for ten minutes to allow time for the blood to clot.
If bleeding recurs when the pressure is released, it probably means that a
large clot in the nose is preventing the broken blood vessel from sealing.
The child should blow the nose vigorously to dislodge the clot and then, after
the clot has been removed, compress the nose again for ten to 12 minutes.
     To prevent recurring nosebleeds, put petroleum jelly in the child's nose
morning and evening for seven to 14 days.  Use a vaporizer or humidifier to
add moisture to the air at night.  (Be sure to keep it meticulously clean,
however.  Otherwise, it can become a source of infection if microorganisms are
allowed to grow in it.)

PRECAUTIONS

  -  To stop a nosebleed, do not merely pinch nostrils together, but compress
     the entire soft portion of the nose.  Otherwise, the blood will dam up
     and run down the throat.
  -  Do not lay your child down.  Remaining upright will decrease the pressure
     in the blood vessels.
  -  Stay calm, and reassure your child.
  -  It is not necessary to use cold compresses, pressure on the upper lip,
     nose drops, and other household remedies.
  -  Do not pack the nose with cotton or gauze.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     Generally, you need to consult your doctor only when home treatment is
not effective.  If the nosebleed is due to an allergy or a cold, your doctor
will treat that condition.  Your doctor will rarely need to pack the nasal
passages or cauterize (seal off) the blood vessels in order to control
recurring nosebleeds.

RELATED TOPICS:  Common cold; Hay fever and other nasal allergies