Young children with nosebleeds - shall I get DS1's nose cauterised?

[hunkermunker]

Do they even do it for not-quite-4yos?

He has nosebleeds fairly often - he's just woken up with one. One side bled earlier today, the other side this evening. He also had a temperature of 39.1. He's prone to high temps for no apparent reason though.

I used to get nosebleeds with alarming frequency (ten in a day not unusual) but I was older than this - 7 or 8. I had my nose cauterised twice and have (largely) grown out of them, although when I do get them they're doozies.

He's had tonsillitis three times recently and has had quite a "whistly" nose from crispy bogies (sorry) as well.

I don't remember cauterisation being a big deal - had it done with silver nitrate, iirc.

So, anyone got any advice?

haven't got any advice, but am hoping that some appears... my 4yo also has a lot of them and I have felt obliged to 'warn' his school and tell them what works to stop it more quickly. He has asthma and i wondered whether the inhalers were a cause or a contributing factor; like your DS he gets hot and it is as if the nosebleed is some sort of thermostat control or something IYSWIM. bit of a "chicken and egg" thing tho, hot/ nosebleed or nosebleed/hot.
bumping for advice

Hi, we recently moved to tropical climates and for the 1st months DS (3.5) would get them all the time.
The Dr said that was typical in kids with allergies because of the drying effect of air conditioning and constant temperature change (outside hot & humid / inside cool and dry).
I guess the same applies for you in the UK but the other way around.

She also confirmed inhalers/nose sprays have aggravating effect.

What worked for us: sea water soft nebulisers to clean nose (sterimar or physiomer available in UK pharmacies) and very gentle nose blowing + a mild anntibiotic ointment to put in nose.
Basically you have to try and keep inside nostrils moist. I don't know under which brand you'll find it in the UK. Ask Dr or pharmacist. It's just a vaseline type gel. You squeeze a drop in each nostril and massage.

Hope it helps.

Sorry your DS gets them too, GW - hope this thread's useful.

Slim, interesting you say that about nose environment being dry (what a phrase!) - I had thought perhaps saline drops would help him, but since he'll loathe that, I didn't want to do it without knowing it was OK and might help iyswim.

I used to get them more in the summer when the atmospheric pressure was high - also when it was bright and clear in the winter for the same reason.

I'm not going to say anything very useful I don't think. You'll be so pleased I'm here.

DS1 used to get them all the time at that age - and he has no allergies I know of - but then just grew out of it and stopped.

There.

I am pleased you're here, 100x!

And pleased your DS grew out of his nosebleeds. (I paused there briefly before I typed "bleed" to chuckle at the thought of someone growing out of their nose.)

DS1 has temp of 39.6 this morning and feels sick. Poor lad Think starting nursery has taken it out of him. He fell asleep there yesterday!

Oh poor think Hunker.

I don't know much about nosebleeds. Do you think he gets them more when he's run down?

DS1 used to get them in the night a lot.

I think he's got a bit of a cold/chesty cough, so that's probably why he's getting them now.

Am waiting for doctor to call me back and ignoring DS2 who is currently rubbing jammy handprints on everything [too tired to mind]

DD used to get them regularly too - the Dr did suggest cauterisation to us - but only as a last resort as she would probably grow out of it - she is 5.5 now and hasnt had one for almost a year I think

BAF, glad your DD has grown out of them too. I don't recall cauterisation being painful or traumatic, but I was seven or eight the first time I had it done. I had it done again though, so it couldn't have been that bad - or that effective, now I think about it...!

yes, it was awful when she had them a lot - very distressing and happened a lot in the car when no moping up facilities were available so bloodbath on the back seat!

They said she had a weak blood vessel that would repair over time and touch wood it seems to have done.

Fingers crossed. DS1's also had them in the car. Actually, my worst one ever was in the car - was when I was about 22. I didn't have much tissue with me, so ended up leaning forward with a carrier bag over my face, blood pouring out of me like a tap. Even though I was leaning forward, it was gushing so much, it was running down my throat, clotting as it went.

What a lovely image. Sorry about that. It lasted the best part of an hour and I was about to go to A&E when it stopped, just like that.

I think I am about to lose my breakfast.....

The last one dd had was in the car and was so extreme I drove straight to A & E as I was in serious PFB panic that her brain might actually seep out through her nostrils twas hideous.

No wonder she is paranoid

Just out of interest how often are your DC getting nosebleeds?

DD (8) gets them, particularly at night. They seem to come in phases where she'll have a few over a period of 2 weeks then none for a while. Really heavy when they happen so we get left with trails of blood from her room to the bathroom.

Just wondered whether I should be doing anything about it

Right, I have gone to look nosebleeds up in my weirdy child health book.

The run down thing makes sense because it says Vit C can help wit capillary fragility. So give one to two doses four times daily for two days after a nosebleed. Give multiple vits. Also Vit K helps the blood clot more efficiently, if you child suffers from recurring nosebleeds give her 15 mcg once or twice daily, for one month.

[exhausted but trying very hard now]

Humidify the air in your childs room especially during the dry winter months - to keep the nose moist and lessen the chance of small capillaries swelling and rupturing.

Oh and there's a homeopathic cure too.

OH and inflammation from a cold can cause the vessels to swell and rupture. There we go. Even the dry winter air can do this. Now I think of it ds1's nosebleeds were definitely seasonal.

Dd has lots of nosebleeds too - she is 4 - she has them in phases too, will have none for 2-3 months, then 4 or 5 in a week. Haven't found anything that helps really, but will follow the thread!

ah yes, the humidity thing I've heard of before.

DD has had a spell of them recently so could be from the dry air, central heating etc.

Right. So wet towels on radiators, lots of multi vits, including Vit K.

If your child is over 4 you can give them nettle leaf tea, it says here, as a preventative thing. But might upset their tummies? Nettle Leaf Tea. Well there's a thing - I heart this book.

100x, that's SO helpful - thank you! Will see what doc says and ask specifically about vitamins.

I think that having them over a period of time, then none for a while is that if you knock your nose after you've had a nosebleed recently, it is likely to rupture the already-weakened blood vessel. Or something.

Right, have been to doctor with him and he now has antibiotics for ear and throat infections and some ointmenty stuff for his nose which begins with N (the ointment, not his nose, although actually his nose does begin with N ).

lol at last post Hunker.
and thank you everyone for advice