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Nosebleed

Description

Bleeding from 1 or both nostrils.

Cause

Usually caused by dryness of the nasal lining or vigorous nose blowing.

See More Appropriate Topic (instead of this one)

If follows injury, see Nose Injury.

When to Call Your Doctor for Nosebleed

Call 911 Now If:

  • Fainted or too weak to stand

Call Your Doctor Now If:

  • You think your child has a serious injury
  • Bleeding does not stop after 20 minutes of direct pressure
  • Bleeding recurs 3 or more times in 24 hours despite direct pressure
  • Skin bruises or bleeding gums not caused by an injury are also present
  • Large amount of blood has been lost

Call Your Doctor Within 24 Hours If:

  • You think your child needs to be seen

Call Your Doctor During Weekday Hours If:

  • You have other questions or concerns
  • Age under 1 year old
  • Hard-to-stop nosebleeds are a recurrent problem
  • Easy bleeding present in other family members

Home Care (Read "Call Your Doctor…" first):

Apply Pressure

Gently squeeze the lower soft parts of the nose against the center wall for 10 minutes. This should apply continuous pressure to the bleeding point.

Have your child lean forward and spit out any blood.

Decongestant Nose Drops

If this fails, insert a gauze wet with decongestant nose drops (e.g. non-prescription Afrin). If not available, use petroleum jelly. (Reason: The gauze helps to apply pressure and nose drops shrink the blood vessels).

Repeat the process of gently squeezing the nose for 10 minutes.

Prevent Recurrent Nosebleeds

  • If the air is dry, use a humidifier to keep the nose from drying out
  • Apply petroleum jelly to the center wall of the nose twice a day to promote healing

Expected Course

Over 99% of nosebleeds will stop following 10 minutes of direct pressure if the parent is pressing on the right spot.

After swallowing blood from a nosebleed, your child may vomit a little blood or pass a dark stool tomorrow.

Call Your Doctor If:

  • Unable to stop bleeding with 20 minutes of direct pressure
  • Your child becomes worse or develops any of the "Call Your Doctor…" symptoms

Parent Care for Pediatric Symptoms. Copyright 2000-2006.