Nosebleeds are a common but scary part of childhood. The medical term for nosebleeds is epistaxis. According to St. Louis Children's Hospital, they are fairly common in children but become less common in the adolescent years. Most nosebleeds are benign occurrences and resolve spontaneously or with simple therapeutic maneuvers.
Dry Air
According to the Children's Hospital of Boston, nosebleeds are more common in dry climates and during the winter months, when the dry air from heaters causes drying and crusting of the inner lining of the nose. The front of the nose has many small fragile capillaries that rupture easily and bleed in these environmental conditions.
Other Causes
The dry air predisposes to nosebleeds, but children have other habits that can cause nosebleeds. Picking and blowing the nose hard are two common reasons for nosebleeds. Trauma to the face and nose, especially during sports, can also lead to nosebleeds. Children with seasonal allergies suffer from chronic inflammation of their nasal passages, another predisposing factor for epistaxis. Finally, some children put foreign bodies up their noses, which, if left in place, can lead to local irritation of the nasal mucosa and bleeding.
Serious Causes
Nosebleeds can also indicate that the child has a bleeding problem. For example children with leukemia can have clotting difficulty, as the presence of abnormal leukemia cells in the bone marrow decrease the production of platelets, the blood cells responsible for clotting off blood. Another common cause of thrombocytopenia, or decreased platelets in the blood stream, in children is idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, or ITP. According to the Merck Manuals, children with ITP have a sudden decrease in the number of platelets, resulting from the body's production of antibodies against the platelets. These antibodies destroy the platelets, leaving the child at risk for spontaneous bleeding, including nosebleeds. This is a self-limited condition but requires close monitoring.
Treatment
Nosebleeds usually occur in the front part of the nose, so pinching this area for 5 to 10 minutes, applying continuous pressure to the bleeding site, is usually enough to stop the bleeding. First, you must calm the child and instruct him to breathe through his mouth. Then use your thumb and index finger to exert gentle pressure on the area. If the bleeding doesn't stop, move your fingers closer to the bridge of the nose and try again. Applying ice or cold water to the bridge of the nose can also help by constricting the vessels and decreasing blood flow to the area.
Warning
According to the Seattle Children's Hospital, the caretaker should call the doctor or seek medical advice if the bleeding does not stop after two attempts of 10 minutes each of direct pressure to the nose, if the bleeding recurs more than tree times in a 24 hour periods, if the child has an injury to the nose or face, or if the child has other abnormal bleeding or bruising.
