Nose Bleed Info on Toddlers and Children
Nosebleed in toddlers is the blog post for today because I believe that I am not the only one, being a father, who experience this with their own children.
My son, Matt who is 4 years old as of this writing, (he’ll be reading this when he’s 20 or older I guess 
, ha been experiencing nose bleeds in the past couple of days and because of that I have searched the internet for information about nose bleeds in children and toddlers, the causes of nose bleeds, preventions and first aids for it.
Nosebleed Background Information
Nosebleeds can be dramatic and frightening. That is absolutely true! The first time I saw Matt with his nose bleeding and some of it on his hands I was frozen still and could not think of the things I should do. That time I didn’t know that most nosebleeds are not serious and usually can be managed at home. My wife didn’t think so. I was worried too, but she was more worried that I am. She suggested that we see our pediatrician and have Matt checked out.
My wife’s suggestion was reasonable. I myself was relieved when the doctor said that Matt is fine. Of course we can’t help it since there was blood involved and most definitely sometimes medical intervention may be necessary.
Nosebleeds, or in medical term called ‘epistaxis‘, are categorized based on where they originate, and are described as either anterior (originating from the front of the nose) or posterior (originating from the back of the nose).
Nosebleeds can occur at any age, but are most common in children aged 2-10 (that’s my concern and the topic of the blog post for today – ‘nosebleed for children’) years and adults aged 50-80 years.
Stop Nosebleeds – Treatments
You will find many information in the internet on how to treat or stop nosebleeds. Most of them are basically the same but the most important one is to just stay calm. Staying calm, even if you the one who’s having nose bleed or your child. This is the first step. After that:
- Sit up straight
- Lean your head forward.
- Keep your head above your heart. This will slow the bleeding.
- Lean forward so the blood will drain out of your nose instead of down the back of your throat. Tilting your head back will only cause you to swallow the blood.
- Pinch the nostrils together with your thumb and index finger
- Don’t let go for at least 5 minutes. If it’s still bleeding, hold it again for another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Spit out any blood in your mouth. Swallowing it may make you vomit and can irritate your stomach.
Tips in Preventing Nosebleeds
- Keep children’s fingernails short to discourage nose picking.
- Counteract the drying effects of indoor heated air by using a humidifier at night in your bedroom.
- Quit smoking. Smoking dries out your nose and also irritates it.
- Open your mouth when you sneeze.
Hope some parent find this tips helpful if ever they experience nose bleeding either to himself or his child.
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sp8graphics/3781265659/
Related posts:
