What is Nosebleeds in children?

Nosebleeds in children

What are frequent nosebleeds?

Frequent nosebleeds are very common in children. Most of the time, the cause of these nosebleeds is never known.

Children often get a nosebleed because they injure themselves. They might get one, for example, if they fall over and hit their face during rough play or while riding a bike.

If your child has a nosebleed after falling, their nose may be broken. So you should make sure they see a doctor as soon as possible.

If your child's nose bleeds after a blow or injury, see a doctor right away. The doctor will check whether the nose is broken and see if any other injuries need to be treated.

Source:
Medline Plus.
Nosebleed.
Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003106.htm (accessed on 28 May 2008).

Source:
American Academy of Family Physicians.
Nosebleeds: What to do when your nose bleeds.
Available at http://familydoctor.org/132.xml (accessed on 28th May 2008).

The advice here applies to repeated nosebleeds that happen for no clear reason.

Nosebleeds usually come from broken blood vessels inside the nose, near the nostrils. Repeated nosebleeds in children can be caused or made worse by:

Picking the nose

Source:
Medline Plus.
Nosebleed.
Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003106.htm (accessed on 28 May 2008).

¹

Source:
American Academy of Family Physicians.
Nosebleeds: What to do when your nose bleeds.
Available at http://familydoctor.org/132.xml (accessed on 28th May 2008).

²

Source:
Burton MJ, Doree CJ.
Interventions for recurrent idiopathic epistaxis (nosebleeds) in children (Cochrane review).
In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2004. Wiley, Chichester, UK.

³

Source:
Kucik CJ, Clenney T.
Management of epistaxis.
American Family Physician. 2005; 71: 305-311.

⁴
Having an object stuck in the nose

Source:
American Academy of Family Physicians.
Nosebleeds: What to do when your nose bleeds.
Available at http://familydoctor.org/132.xml (accessed on 28th May 2008).

²

Source:
Kucik CJ, Clenney T.
Management of epistaxis.
American Family Physician. 2005; 71: 305-311.

⁴
Having an

infection
You get an infection when viruses, bacteria, fungi or other tiny organisms get into your body. These bugs are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope. For example, an infection in your airways causes the common cold. And an infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot.

infection in the skin inside the nose

Source:
Burton MJ, Doree CJ.
Interventions for recurrent idiopathic epistaxis (nosebleeds) in children (Cochrane review).
In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2004. Wiley, Chichester, UK.

³
Using nasal drops or sprays too much to treat a runny nose.

Source:
Kucik CJ, Clenney T.
Management of epistaxis.
American Family Physician. 2005; 71: 305-311.

⁴

Very rarely, nosebleeds are caused by a problem with the structure of a child's nose, or by a benign growth (a growth that is not cancer).

Source:
Burton MJ, Doree CJ.
Interventions for recurrent idiopathic epistaxis (nosebleeds) in children (Cochrane review).
In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2004. Wiley, Chichester, UK.

Frequent nosebleeds can be a sign of a serious disease, but this is very rare. Diseases that affect the blood's ability to clot and some cancers can cause repeated nosebleeds in children, but this is extremely unusual.

Source:
Burton MJ, Doree CJ.
Interventions for recurrent idiopathic epistaxis (nosebleeds) in children (Cochrane review).
In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2004. Wiley, Chichester, UK.

³ If your doctor suspects a serious cause for the nosebleeds, he or she may order blood tests or refer your child to a specialist.

Sources for the information on this page:

Medline Plus.Nosebleed.Available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003106.htm (accessed on 28 May 2008).

American Academy of Family Physicians.Nosebleeds: What to do when your nose bleeds.Available at http://familydoctor.org/132.xml (accessed on 28th May 2008).

Burton MJ, Doree CJ.Interventions for recurrent idiopathic epistaxis (nosebleeds) in children (Cochrane review).In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2004. Wiley, Chichester, UK.

Kucik CJ, Clenney T.Management of epistaxis.American Family Physician. 2005; 71: 305-311.

This information was last updated on Jun 08, 2008

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
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