Nosebleeds

[HarryPotterFan436]

My 3 year old has had nosebleeds for just over a year now. They are fairly frequent. Sometimes stop for a couple of weeks but then he can have several over a few days. When they first started he had a couple of faint bruises on his spine. A blood test was done and the results were ok. I’ve taken him to the doctors a couple of times since and they keep telling me they are not concerned. Today I have noticed light bruises again on his spine. Bearing in mind this is over a year after the first ones. I am just really frightened. I have what I think is health anxiety anyway (waiting on counselling). Should I be scared by these symptoms? What should I do?

To be clear. I am not a medic nor any kind of HCP.

However, both my dds had fairly regular nosebleeds as little ones with no apparent trigger.
dd1 outgrew them around 9 or 10 and dd2 still has them (aged 17) sometimes (oddly, often seems linked to the weather ??? ). I did mention it to a couple of GPs over the years and they said they needn't worry and wouldn't do anything until they are older than 7 anyway.

I know nothing about the spine, and am ONLY talking about regular nosebleeds.

Thank you backforgood. I appreciate you are not a medic but am very grateful for your reply. I do have another appointment for him but am worried that I’m over reacting. Otherwise he seems healthy but I just don’t trust my judgement on what I should be concerned about or not at the moment. Thank you for your reply.

I know it's anecdotal, but I've also found other people I've chatted to over the years have dc who had had it - particularly, as I say, in the younger years.

My ds is 8, he’s been having regular nose bleed for about a year and a half.
He’s had bloods done and they’ve been clear, the GP has referred him to Paediatrics. He seems to think it might be a weak blood vessel in his nose, we are still waiting for the appointment but hopefully it’s nothing more serious.

I’m also not a medic and can’t comment on the bruising.

But it’s particularly common for children to get nosebleeds at this time of year due to hay fever. My son is almost 12 and we only realised a couple of years ago via allergy testing, that he was so sensitive to so many pollens and grasses. It explained his regular nose bleeds. He didn’t have any of the usual hayfever symptoms. He now has antihistamine everyday and a special spray prescribed from the Dr to use during the pollen season. Like a PP, he also has bleeds when it’s really hot weather.

I think it will put your mind at rest to see the Dr again and I’ll cross my fingers that it’s something along the lines of hayfever or weak blood vessels.

My daughter also suffered, with no underlying reason found. We use a saline nasal spray morning and night when they flare up (caused by hot or dry air usually then end up more prone afterwards), and it's really helped.

Thank you for all these replies. They are helping to put my mind at rest a little until we get back to the doctor. I have been trying a saline spray. It seemed to help for about 5 days but then he had 4 nosebleeds in 24 hours. Once they start he just seems to keep getting them. I am hoping for a referral to get him checked out thoroughly but I’m not sure if the doctors will do that. I’m concerned they just think I’m worrying over nothing. Well to be fair I don’t know myself if I am. I have been considering trying him with some piriton in case it’s allergies as myself and the rest of my family are prone to hay fever.

Just bumping this in case anyone sees it this morning.

My 14 year old has nose bleeds has for many years. Hes had lots of tests and flund nothing. They said its because the veins in his nose are tiny and thin. Also i wouldn't use the saline or anything up there unless told to do so by a gp.

I had nosebleeds regularly as a child, one lasting about 4 hours! (Stopped on the way to a&e, typical 😄) Now my 3 year old seems to be going to same way. I had one nostril cauterised, I must have been about 10. It helped but didn’t stop them completely. For me it was always worse if I was overheated.
Can’t comment on the bruising, I’d get that checked out again too personally, in relation to the nosebleeds. But hopefully it’s just coincidence and he’s had a bump, and is also prone to nosebleeds!

Definitely getting the bruising checked out although hopefully with it being a year since it all started it’s nothing to be concerned about. Yesterday they were very small and light. He isn’t up yet this morning so I don’t know if that’s still the case today.

Interesting that others have related them to weather, and possible allergies. My dd that still has nosebleeds is the only one in my family that does tend to 'react' to stings or being scratched by some plants. I've never connected that.