Child’s night time nosebleeds 😴

[Kate3150]

Hello,

My DS (4) suffers from nosebleeds, they’ve been worse this week (think because of the weather).

Been to Docs, we have been prescribed some cream and going for blood tests.

He seems to get them first thing in the morning or at night.
I was checking him hourly last night, but I can’t keep doing that 🙃

Anyone in the same boat? How do you manage it all? X

Probably picking nose.
Maybe dehydrated.
But my eldest would get them when covid positive too

My 8 year old has had this for years.

A few things we were advised by consultant:
Don't have hot or even warm baths before bed.
Similarly take care with washing face before bed that he's not too warm, water isn't too warm and don't rub too vigorously.
With our DS they'd come and go a bit so if he's in a phase where he's having them we also give antihistamine before bed.
We too have a cream (commonly nasceptin but in our case Bactroban as nasceptin has peanut derivatives in it and we have allergies in the house).

None of that stuff is a cure but may help!

Thank you for all your advice.
Any ideas for best way to apply cream? X

Do you have any idea of where the bleeding is coming from? When DS went to doctor she told us that the capillaries causing issues were actually quite near his nostrils rather than the blood coming from further up in his nose. So firstly we were pinching the wrong part of his nose when trying to stop them and secondly we could target the cream.

It's delightful obviously but I put it on my little finger and just stick it in and rub it in, although DS now mostly does it himself and since.his fingers are smaller than works better. He's 8 though. Maybe just a cotton wool bud? Would definitely be helpful if you knew where to target.

We did get a referral to have an ENT look at whether anything could be done. The NHS appointment was a full year after the GP one but he was on my health insurance at the time so we were able to go private. She didn't want to cauterise the capillary as she said it doesn't usually provide a long term fix and can cause scar tissue z especially where his were placed, but she was able to advise on where the issues were.

I used to get nosebleeds a lot as a child, but I just recall my parents ensuring I had lighter bedclothes so I was less likely to overheat in my sleep and washing blood off my pillowcases a lot (they'd have two or three pillowcases on so the outside one(s) could be stripped off and the pillow flipped during the night).....if I woke up and noticed I was bleeding I had a cereal bowl to hold under my nose while I walked to the bathroom sink, then just pinched it over the sink until it stopped and went back to bed (my mum would sit with me during this when I was small). There wasn't any cream etc, and I grew out of it in my mid teens.

All three of mine had massive nosebleeds all the time as kids, as did I. I didn't take them to the Dr about it as I assumed they would grow out of it which they did, like I did, by about 9-11.

I think its something to do with the shape of the nose. As it gets bigger and the blood vessels get bigger the y rupture less frequently. It got worse in hayfever season and when they had colds in winter. So keep on top of antihistamines, keep the air moist. When they have colds vaseline round the nostrils can help keep noses comfortable to discourage nosepicking (which they will do even if you tell them not to) but it won't stop nosebleeds.

If he has one when asleep does he wake up? Is it the mess you are worried about? Can you put a towel or one of those pads they use for children who wet the bed on his pillow to stop bloodstains? I think mine all just woke up and came and told us, and we just settled them once the bleeding stopped and dealt with the laundry in the morning. Soaking pretty much anything in borax substitute seems to work. That and dark coloured bed linen I guess.

I think back in the day cauterising the blood vessels was quite common, my own DDad was a GP and I remember him talking to me about this and saying it could be done but was basically pointless as they would still rupture again as I grew, plus be painful. Nosebleeds are usually benign and if you leave them alone they stop of their own accord. The blood can freak out other people, but our three were all quite chilled about waiting for it to stop and tidying it up. A vital life skill for later when they have a body to hide...