Blog

Nosebleeds are very common in children and are rarely cause for concern.  

Common causes of nosebleeds are:

• Trauma to the nose caused by a bump or fall
• Dry air irritating the blood vessels
• An infection in the nose throat or sinuses
• Straining too hard on the toilet
• Blowing your nose to hard
• Picking your nose
• Pushing an object up your nose
• Hay fever or allergies

I remember being told as a child to tilt my head back when I had a nosebleed, and this is still a common misconception in the treatment of nosebleeds.  Holding your head back is a classic example of what not to do!

Instead, follow these few steps below:

• Seat the casualty and have them tip their head slightly forward
• Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch the nose just below the bony ridge
• Continue to apply the pressure to the nose for 10 minutes
• Reassure the casualty (the sight of blood can be quite upsetting for some people, especially children!)
• Encourage the casualty to spit out any blood (swallowing blood can lead to nausea and vomiting)
• A cold compress may be placed on the casualty’s forehead and at the base of their neck
• After 10 minutes, remove the thumb and forefinger pressure and check if the bleeding has stopped

When to seek medical attention:

• The nosebleed has lasted more than 20 minutes
• The casualty is on blood thinning medication and the bleeding won’t stop
• Nosebleeds are reoccurring or frequent