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Original poster

Nosebleeds in children?

17 replies

Whitefeather01 · 19/10/2020 15:42

Are nosebleeds common in children or are they something to worry about?

My DD is 7 and maybe has a couple a month. Most of the time it's if she's picked it, but she had a big one in the car earlier and she hadn't touched it, but she was crying after arguing with her sister.

I'm a worrier and worrying that it's sinister and don't want to Dr Google it or get in touch with her Doctor if they're normal?

They last a few minutes and don't come with a headache or anything.

Thanks

OP posts:
middleager · 19/10/2020 15:47

One of my sons was like this. He'd have about one a week, really heavy, so much so that it scared the hell out of me at first. Sometimes for no reason and other times if his nose was slightly tapped. He's very small and we attributed it to narrow airways combined with asthma and hayfever.

We were told he'd grow out of it, and he has mostly.

He's now 14 and has a nosebleed every couple of months, more in summer if pollen is high.

My brother suffered as a child but grew out of them. My aunt ended up having hers cortorized, so everybody is different, but I think this is quite common in childhood and would wait.

NoSquirrels · 19/10/2020 15:47

One of my DC will get a nosebleed if they have a big crying fit! Also goes in fits and starts of frequency, so might have more than average for a few months then none for a while, then something sets them off again.

Usually at about the point we'd worry it stops happening for a while.

I also used to get loads of nosebleeds as a child, and grew out of it. The lining of the nose is thin anyway, and thinner in kids.

If she gets very long and persistent nosebleeds they can cauterise the inside of the nostril, if there's a specific blood vessel too close to the surface that is irritated, but it's not that nice so only as a last resort.

Try not to worry.

Soundbyte · 19/10/2020 15:51

My eldest had nosebleeds regularly when he was younger. He’s 16 now and still gets them now and again. His father was the same when he was growing up and so was my father, they’re pretty normal.
I think the advice I had was to call
the gp if they were still going after 30 minutes but it was a few years ago now x

Rainbowx · 19/10/2020 15:52

My son suffers with them he has a devated septum needs an operation but wont do until an adult cant breathe through nose either

MillieEpple · 19/10/2020 15:55

Well i cant give medical advice and i guess calling your gp if you are concerned is sensible.

But i work in a achool office and some children seem really prone to nosebleeds and i swear they get them when the weather/air pressure changes

booearing · 19/10/2020 16:04

My first Ds was like this and grew out of it by the time he was about 12
My 4th Ds is 7 and has the same but its like turning on a tap its awful but he has learnt to live with it and I've been told he should grow out of it like Ds1.
My son like another pp child also gets them when he has been crying a lot and also if its hot so if its hot out i can guarantee he is coming out of school with a nose bleed or covered in blood because of it.

knittingaddict · 19/10/2020 16:05

My mum had regular nosebleeds as a child and had her nose cauterised more than once. This seemed to be a treatment at the time. She is in her 80's now.

My daughter also had some spectacular nose bleeds as a child, but seemed to mostly grow out of them as an adult.

Neither of them had anything more sinister than just being prone to nose bleeds.

Trauchled · 19/10/2020 16:07

My son had a few severe nosebleeds when he was around 5 yrs old.They would start for no reason.He ended up getting his nose cauterised under a general anaesthetic.He had to have it cauterised again when he was around 16 and again when he was in his 20s.ENT consultant said he had enlarged blood vessels very close to the surface.

TwoleftUggs · 19/10/2020 16:09

My ds used to get loads as a young child. Usually in the night and I’ve walked into a few bloodbaths in the morning - all over his face, hands and the pillowcases. The docs said it was common, and probably due to small blood vessels or something like that, and that he would probably grow out of it. If he didn’t they were going to cauterise it, but he hasn’t had one in about 5 years now.

Cuddling57 · 19/10/2020 16:23

I know a child who gets them lots and has been checked out ok.
You should always go to the doctors if you are worried though.
@Rainbowx are there different 'levels' of deviated septum? What makes one need an op?

Rainbowx · 19/10/2020 16:51

Yes doctor had a look and said bad case goes over to the left to much

LoseLooseLucy · 19/10/2020 16:57

Mine are prone to them, no warning, it just starts. My 16 year old seems to have stopped having them now but my 5 year old can have a few a week.

shimmyshimmycocoapop · 19/10/2020 18:23

DS had his cauterised but they came back and we went back to the GP expecting to get referred again and she had a look and said there was actually an infection so he got cream to shove up and they stopped again. I don't even want to imagine what he'd had on his fingers to cause it 🤢

Strawberryplum · 19/10/2020 18:27

Don’t google. Both my children now 10 and 8 have had nosebleeds since a very young age. My youngest was at least twice a week. She was really bad with them a few years ago. once it got so bad her nose was dripping with blood. Was ready to take her to a and e but it stopped. The doctor wasn’t overly concerned. Now they are few and far between

Pesimistic · 19/10/2020 18:30

My son also 7 has nose bleeds, had one this morning, normally when the air has been dry and hes been picking his nose , also once after he had got stone dust in his eyes and was crying and distressed he had a nose bleed too, I am going to get a humidifier and see if that helps.

SilenceOfTheEmu · 19/10/2020 18:39

As a kid from about age 5 I had the heaviest nose bleeds you could imagine, after many trips to the hospital etc my mum was told obviously make sure they tip their head forwards and not backwards (so the blood doesn’t go down the throat etc) make sure they gently pinch their nostril and keep the pressure on, keep your child calm as if they get upset or scared it will last much longer, don’t touch the clot/scab that forms after the nosebleed- and most importantly if the nosebleed is pouring continuously for over an hour we were told to go into a&e. If it lasts less than an hour (even if it’s absolutely gushing) then we were told not to worry. Mine often lasted 56 minutes and as we were getting ready to go to the hospital it would magically stop! Grin
I had them during swimming lessons, in the middle of the Christmas nativity play when I was the narrator, etc - they were unfortunately a huge part of my childhood and I often had several nosebleeds per week.
My mum was told I would grow out of them by the time I was a teenager and miraculously I did and haven’t had one since (20 years ago now)

grenlei · 19/10/2020 18:50

My eldest used to get them all the time from the age of about 4 or 5. I was a bit freaked out by them as I'd never had a nosebleed in my life. However he was always completely unfazed by and so I left it hoping he'd grow out of it. He used to have them at any time.. sometimes even at night. Often the trigger was heading a ball, or someone bopping him on the nose even just gently. Sometimes it was just because he'd got hot. After his school and childminder repeatedly voiced their 'concerns' about it, I took him to the GP who referred him for cauterisation. This was about 10-12 years ago. Since it was done he has had some nosebleeds but a lot less frequent (maybe 1-2 times a year before it was that often a week).

His younger brother also had them though not as bad, at its peak his were only about once a month.

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