Nosebleeds are common in children, especially during the winter months when outside humidity levels drop and indoor heating dries out the inside lining of the nose. In most cases, nosebleeds in children are not a cause for alarm and the majority of children will outgrow them before the teen years. However, frequent or severe nosebleeds can be disruptive and interfere with school and socialization. Stopping nosebleeds quickly can minimize their negative effects, and seeking medical treatment for chronic nosebleeds will ensure your child's school work and social life are not affected.
Step 1
Calm your child by speaking to her in a reassuring voice. Nosebleeds can be scary for children, especially young children, and crying and panicking can make them worse.
Step 2
Sit your child down on a chair or on the floor and instruct her to lean forward to reduce the amount of blood she swallows. Her head should remain higher than her heart.
Step 3
Use a tissue or your fingers to pinch your child's nostrils together for at least five minutes. Do not release pressure to see if the bleeding has stopped.
Step 4
Apply an ice pack or cold compress to the bridge of your child's nose if the bleeding continues beyond five minutes. Hold this compress in place for at least five more minutes while continuing to pinch your child's nostrils.
Step 5
Repeat these steps if the bleeding continues, pinching your child's nose for another five minutes and then using ice for an additional five minutes.
Step 6
Prevent rebleeding by keeping your fingers and your child's fingers out of her nose, and by instructing your child to remain upright. Do not allow your child to bend over or strain. Using a decongestant spray may also be beneficial.
Tips and Warnings
- Allergies are one possible cause of chronic nosebleeds in children. If home treatment fails to stop your child's nosebleeds, discuss allergy testing with her pediatrician. Stop future nosebleeds by running a cool-mist humidifier inside your child's bedroom during winter nights, instructing your child not to pick her nose, using saline nose drops per her doctor's instructions and applying petroleum jelly around the entrance to her nose if dryness or cracking are problems.
- Do not pack a bleeding nose with gauze or cotton balls. Call your child's pediatrician if the bleeding is severe or continues after 20 minutes, if your child's nose appears injured, or if other symptoms, such as weakness, trouble breathing or faintness, develop. Also, call if a foreign body may be lodged inside your child's nostril.
Things You'll Need
- Tissues
- Ice pack
- Decongestant nasal spray
