The pollen count is high and your toddler is miserable with sniffling and teary eyes. Just when you think your 2-year-old’s symptoms can't get worse, the runny nose turns to a bloody nose. Seasonal allergies commonly cause nosebleeds, but seek emergency medical care if there is rapid or sustained blood loss or your toddler has trouble breathing.
Identification
If your toddler has seasonal allergies, inhaling pollen can cause her to discharge clear fluids from her nose, sneeze frequently and have a decreased sense of smell. The eyes and ears are often affected by season allergies. Your toddler’s eyes may become red, watery and itchy, and she may frequently pull or scratch her ears. A cough is sometimes present, with an itchy throat. Since seasonal allergies cause inflammation of the nose, they can result in nosebleeds for some toddlers. Nosebleeds can cause spots of blood to appear on a tissue or they can cause a slow, steady flow of blood for a few minutes.
Cause
Seasonal allergies occur when your toddler’s immune system overacts to airborne pollen by releasing histamines and other chemicals into the body to fight the pollen the same way your body fights an infection. The immune system’s reaction causes the symptoms your toddler experiences when pollen counts are high. Grass, trees and ragweed are common pollens. Nosebleeds can also occur if your toddler blows his nose too hard while trying to relieve allergy symptoms. Nasal dryness is caused by several allergy medications and is another cause of nosebleeds.
Treatment
Antihistamines are the prevailing drug for an itchy, runny or stuffy nose associated with seasonal allergies. On the downside, antihistamines dry out the nasal membrane, which can irritate your toddler's sinuses and result in nosebleeds. The appropriate dosage of antihistamines is based on your toddler's weight. For example, Benadryl's dosage chart indicates that toddlers weighing more than 22 lbs. receive 10 mg and toddlers weighing more than 33 lbs. receive 15 mg. Do not exceed the recommended dose; an overdose could cause seizures, hallucinations, breathing difficulties and dizziness.
Decongestants are also used to treat allergies, but they can cause nosebleeds as well. Never give toddlers decongestants except on the advice of a doctor. If nosebleeds are bothersome or frequent, your doctor may suggest immunotherapeutic injections. Injections of the allergenic pollen are given regularly for three to five years until the body stops reacting to it. Children also benefit from this therapy because it helps prevent asthma.
To treat a nosebleed as it occurs, pinch your child's nostrils continuously for 10 minutes with the child sitting. Apply a cold compress to the bridge of her nose.
Prevention
Reduce your toddler's exposure to pollen by keeping him indoors on days the pollen count is high, keeping windows closed and not using window fans. To keep your toddler’s nose from getting too dry, keep a humidifier in his room. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to the inside of his nose several times a day to relieve dryness from antihistamines and decongestants. Have your toddler take a warm bath and breathe steam through his nose to add extra moisture to the nasal cavity. Continue allergy medications unless otherwise directed by your toddler’s pediatrician.
