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Original poster

3 nose bleeds within 24 hours, how worried need I be?

29 replies

Ddee444444 · 11/10/2023 21:32

Within the past 24hrs my DD (age 4) has had three nose bleeds. The first happened during the night last night so when I went to get her up for school was met with a bloody pillow and duvet.

The second started half an hour or so after she got up for school and she's just had another now (whilst asleep - so definitely not picking her nose or anything)

Prior to this, she has only ever had one before. 6 weeks or so ago.

I've managed to get her an appointment with the GP but it isn't until Friday and I'm worrying a bit a lot

I've heard that nose bleeds aren't uncommon in children but 3 within 24 hours surly can't be right? Does anybody have any experience of this?

OP posts:
Original poster
Ddee444444 · 11/10/2023 21:32

Forgot to turn off the voting, do ignore that.

OP posts:
ShineBright1209 · 11/10/2023 21:37

My oldest started having nose bleeds at about this age and still does now at 13. Usually when he has 1 it’s usually followed by a few more over the next day or 2. I don’t know what the cause is but a friend who’s child of the same age got referred to the hospital eventually and was told to give them an antihistamine everyday to try and stop them.

Grumplechops · 11/10/2023 21:40

My DC are nose bleeders (as am I!). Nose bleeds can come in repeated runs caused by an errant blood vessel that’s a bit inflamed or damaged and it takes nothing at all for it to bleed (touching your face, washing your face, getting a bit hot, wiggling your nose or just seemingly randomly). Good to get your GP to check though. We were prescribed Naseptin which clears up inflammation and calms the blood vessels to stop the bleeding episode.

Original poster
Ddee444444 · 11/10/2023 21:41

ShineBright1209 · 11/10/2023 21:37

My oldest started having nose bleeds at about this age and still does now at 13. Usually when he has 1 it’s usually followed by a few more over the next day or 2. I don’t know what the cause is but a friend who’s child of the same age got referred to the hospital eventually and was told to give them an antihistamine everyday to try and stop them.

Thank you that's really helpful and reassuring. How often does your DC usually get them? DD got quite upset when she saw all the blood and panicked. I really hope it isn't going to happen often. Poor things.

OP posts:
KeeefBurtain · 11/10/2023 21:42

Could she have something stuck up there?

Worriedmum86 · 11/10/2023 21:42

My son gets them, I know when he's coming down with a cold because he gets more than usual. He can get a few a day then.

Original poster
Ddee444444 · 11/10/2023 21:43

Grumplechops · 11/10/2023 21:40

My DC are nose bleeders (as am I!). Nose bleeds can come in repeated runs caused by an errant blood vessel that’s a bit inflamed or damaged and it takes nothing at all for it to bleed (touching your face, washing your face, getting a bit hot, wiggling your nose or just seemingly randomly). Good to get your GP to check though. We were prescribed Naseptin which clears up inflammation and calms the blood vessels to stop the bleeding episode.

Thank you that's also really helpful! I've only ever had a nose bleed after being (accidentally) twatted with a badminton racket so it was quite a worry to see it happen so spontaneously 😔

OP posts:
tooththirty · 11/10/2023 21:43

My 5yo DS is really prone to nosebleeds.

he gets them mainly when he’s got the cold or it’s really cold weather. He can get a few a day if it’s a really heavy cold.

the amount of blood used to really freak me out. I stick him in the shower if we’re at home and let it run its course.

Original poster
Ddee444444 · 11/10/2023 21:44

KeeefBurtain · 11/10/2023 21:42

Could she have something stuck up there?

Unlikely as she's never been one for putting things up her nose but I am going to check now as I can't rule it out completely

OP posts:
Madcats · 11/10/2023 21:44

At that age DD (now 16) had some heavy ones. The sort of thing I'd be phoned to go into school for. They were usually governed by seasonal weather.

Her then GP had done some ENT specialisms and suggested that we left it a few years to see how things panned out (we had to have some earlier thyroid related surgery, that he was spot-on about what needed doing, unlike hospital paeds).

Cauterisation is unpleasant, I am told (by SiL when in her 60's). We left it, expecting to need to fix it with surgery, but DD(16) now seems mostly fine and able to cope with the occasional light nosebleed. The change in air pressure seems to trigger small bleeds.

Just our personal experience.

Original poster
Ddee444444 · 11/10/2023 21:44

Worriedmum86 · 11/10/2023 21:42

My son gets them, I know when he's coming down with a cold because he gets more than usual. He can get a few a day then.

This is interesting as we definitely have a cold in the house. Toddler DS is full of snot today.

OP posts:
blanketsmell · 11/10/2023 21:44

How long are they lasting?

FuckingHellAdele · 11/10/2023 21:46

I think nosebleeds can be one of those things that feel really sinister, but actually are usually very common and pretty harmless. Usually just irritated lining of the nose, or a delicate blood vessel, or even just when the temperatures change.

Original poster
Ddee444444 · 11/10/2023 21:47

Thank you all!

So the one she had this morning before school lasted 10 minutes or so. I'm not sure how long the sleeping ones last but there was quite alot of blood both of those times. Like you PP, it scared the daylights out of me the amount of blood.

OP posts:
olympicsrock · 11/10/2023 21:47

It’s just the same place starting up again as the clot sealing the vessel hasn’t settled yet. Can happen if the person touches their nose, sneezes , blows the nose etc.

no cause for concern

Girasoli · 11/10/2023 21:47

Have you turned the heating on for the first time? My DS1 gets them often when the air is dry/warm.

blanketsmell · 11/10/2023 21:48

I wouldn't be overly concerned. If you are finding they are really difficult to stop then see a GP

Original poster
Ddee444444 · 11/10/2023 21:50

We haven't had the heating on much at all over the last week no. We're in the south where weather has been really quite warm and humid.

OP posts:
Grumplechops · 11/10/2023 22:10

The cold will be the trigger. Nose vessels get a bit inflamed and more prone to bleeding.

Hollyhobbi · 11/10/2023 22:28

@Grumplechops Naseptin isn't antiflammatory nor does it calm the blood vessels. It's an antibiotic and disinfectant to prevent or treat infection in the nose. Also cauterisation is not that bad especially if it's chemical cauterisation. I'm on Warfarin and have had 4 or 5 heavy nosebleeds lasting over an hour! And no more since I had two blood vessels cauterised. Op do you know the correct way to do first aid to stop a nosebleed? And that you sit the patient with head tilted forward not back like the so called first aider in our office was trying to get me to do! My sister used to get a lot of nose bleeds as a young teenager, again she had cauterisation and no more since then and she's in her 50s now.

TheIsleOfTheLost · 11/10/2023 22:32

People who are prone to nosebleeds tend to have the veins near the surface. You will probably find she just has inflammation at the moment, so they are cracking repeatedly. It should calm down soon enough. Probably worth putting down a towel or blanket on her pillow that can be easily washed when she is having a series of them. I am prone to them and just find them irritating more than anything else.

BetterWithPockets · 11/10/2023 22:54

olympicsrock · 11/10/2023 21:47

It’s just the same place starting up again as the clot sealing the vessel hasn’t settled yet. Can happen if the person touches their nose, sneezes , blows the nose etc.

no cause for concern

This. If it’s happening ALOT is definitely worth speaking to the GP though as they may want to check for anaemia (if she’s losing a lot of blood). Also, if it doesn’t stop of its own accord, she may need to go to a&e for cauterisation. (My DD, 10, has lots of nose bleeds, often but not always in clusters, so I speak from experience.)

Grumplechops · 11/10/2023 22:55

@Hollyhobbi I stand corrected. I think it was the layman’s terms the GP gave me (I am actually a microbiologist by training but thought the infectious diseases explanation may not be necessary in this context! 😋

NeverDropYourMooncup · 11/10/2023 23:01

One normal nosebleed, followed by rubbing her nose when sleeping and one rubbing it whilst getting ready for school, the latter two just disturbing the clot that had formed after the first.

Babygirl888 · 11/10/2023 23:08

If my nephew gets one nosebleed, he'll always have loads close together afterwards. If he's super active, has a cold or the weathers humid/heatings on. We had his nose cauterised 2 years ago as it was quite frequent and he hasnt had one since. The doctor said once the membrane in the nose was disturbed, a cluster of nose bleeds is normal.