Care Advice
- What You Should Know About Nosebleeds:
- Nosebleeds are common.
- You should be able to stop the bleeding if you use the correct technique.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
- Squeeze the Lower Nose:
- Gently squeeze the soft parts of the lower nose together. Gently press them against the center wall for 10 minutes. This puts constant pressure on the bleeding point.
- Use the thumb and index finger in a pinching manner.
- If the bleeding continues, move your point of pressure.
- Have your child sit up and breathe through the mouth during this procedure.
- If rebleeds, use the same technique again.
- Put Gauze into the Nose:
- If pressure alone fails, use a piece of gauze. Wet it with a few drops of water. Another option is to put a little petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) on it.
- Insert the wet gauze into the side that is bleeding. Press again for 10 minutes. Reason it works: the gauze puts more pressure on the bleeding spot.
- Special nose drops: if your child has lots of nose bleeds, buy some decongestant nose drops. An example is Afrin. No prescription is needed. Put 3 drops on the gauze and press. The nose drops also shrink the blood vessels in the nose.
- Caution: don't use decongestant nose drops if your child is under 1 year of age.
- If you don't have gauze, use a piece of paper towel.
- Repeat the process of gently squeezing the lower soft parts of the nose. Do this for 10 minutes.
- Prevent Recurrent Nosebleeds:
- If the air in your home is dry, use a humidifier to keep the nose from drying out.
- For nose blowing, blow gently.
- For nose suctioning, don't put the suction tip very far inside. Also, move it gently.
- Do not use aspirin and ibuprofen. Reason: Increases bleeding tendency.
- Bleeding areas in the front of the nose sometimes develop a scab. It may heal slowly and re-bleed. If that happens to your child, try this tip. Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to the spot. Repeat twice a day. Do not use for more than 1 week.
- What to Expect:
- Over 99% of nosebleeds will stop if you press on the right spot.
- It may take 10 minutes of direct pressure.
- After swallowing blood from a nosebleed, your child may vomit a little blood.
- Your child may also pass a dark stool tomorrow from swallowed blood.
- Call Your Doctor If:
- Can't stop bleeding with 10 minutes of direct pressure done correctly
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.