For parents of children prone to nosebleeds, among the most alarming aspects are their frequency and duration. All children experience nosebleeds, but some children experience repeated episodes of gushing blood and clots that can be scary –– and frankly, gross.

There’s no need to worry, even when nosebleeds in young children seem extreme, says Ramzi Younis, M.D., FAAP, FACS, a pediatric otolaryngologist with the University of Miami Health System.

“The bleeding can be scary, as a parent, when you see the blood and clots, and often, this leads to rushing to urgent care or the emergency room, but it’s not an emergency,” says Dr. Younis.

The nose contains fragile vessels in the anterior part of the septum.

This is the area at the inlet of the nose, in the middle, where there’s a collection of small vessels. When this area gets agitated from a bad cold or prying little fingers, the vessels can open up and gush blood. The medical term for nosebleeds is epistaxis.

Over time, this area can get sensitive enough to bleed when your child sneezes, has a cold or even runs in hot weather –– which causes the vessels to burst from blood pressure and volume. Dr. Younis likens irritated nasal blood vessels to driving a car on a tire full of patched holes. “With the slightest irritation, those patches are bound to come loose. Sensitive clots do the same,” he says.

Common causes of nosebleeds in children

Your child likely claims they are not guilty, but frequent nose-picking is the leading cause of nosebleeds in young children. Delicate blood vessels inside the nose easily rupture. The vessels can reopen as they heal, causing additional nosebleeds.

Other common causes of nosebleeds in children include the following:

Allergies or sinus infections

When children experience nasal congestion, they tend to rub or blow their nose more often, which can lead to irritation and bleeding.

Injuries

Bumps or blows to the nose can also trigger nosebleeds.

Dry air

This cause is less common in South Florida’s humidity, but dry air can cause more frequent nosebleeds. If your hands or lips feel dry in the winter, the inside of your nose is too.

Tips for stopping a nosebleed (that actually work)

Older parents and grandparents likely remember tipping the head back during nosebleeds as children. This is no longer recommended, as it doesn’t help stop the bleeding and causes blood to flow down the throat.

Pinching the bridge of the nose also does little to help stop the bleeding that’s typically coming from the lower vessels in the septum.

Instead, Dr. Younis recommends the following to stop nosebleeds in children:

Pinch the nostril: Apply pressure by closing the bleeding nostril. Don’t be alarmed if this causes the blood to come out of the other nostril instead.

Apply ice: Ice can help stop nosebleeds because it has a vasoconstrictive effect, which means the cold constricts the blood vessels.

Cauterization: If nosebleeds become severe and frequent enough to disrupt your child’s life, your doctor can perform a fast, minimally invasive procedure under local anesthesia to cauterize the blood vessel with silver nitrate. This can last for several weeks, months or even years.

“If nosebleeds are frequent and have been ongoing for several weeks or months, conservative measures might not work, so we can cauterize the area,” says Dr. Younis.

Preventative treatment for reducing nosebleeds

For younger kids, trimming your child’s nails and discouraging nose-picking can be the best preventative measure for stopping nosebleeds from occurring in the first place.

If your house is dry in the winter, consider adding a humidifier to the furnace system and to your child’s bedroom. Drinking plenty of water also helps keep nasal mucous membranes from drying out.

If allergies or a cold are the culprit, a nose spray can help. A nasal decongestant shrinks swollen blood vessels in the nose.

Saline nasal spray and applying Vaseline to the area can help prevent cracking, too.

When should you be concerned about children’s nosebleeds?

Though nosebleeds are often nothing to worry about, they can be disruptive for kids whose noses bleed suddenly and for a long time. “Blood can throw people off, even leading to anxiety attacks or fainting. The nose, face and neck are very vascular, so even small amounts of bleeding can look dramatic,” says Dr. Younis.

Dr. Younis sees children in his practice nearly every day who are experiencing a lot of nosebleeds, which usually can be managed with conservative measures at home. Nosebleeds are rarely a symptom of an underlying issue.

In older teens and young adults, nosebleeds from one side only with nasal blockage can be caused by an extremely rare tumor called juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA).

Other rare hereditary disorders, such as platelet deficiencies, can cause frequent nosebleeds.

“As a physician, I know that the majority of these situations are not serious. Even when the amount of blood appears to be a lot to a parent, like a couple of tablespoons or a small cup, it usually isn’t as concerning as it looks,” says Dr. Younis.

The main thing about nosebleeds in children is not to panic. Apply pressure until the bleeding clots. “You don’t need to rush to the hospital. Most of the time, conservative measures like applying pressure, using ice and even a spray like Afrin can help control the situation,” says Dr. Younis.

Wendy Maragolin is a contributor for UHealth’s news service.

Tags: Dr. Ramzi Younis, pediatric ENT, prevent nosebleeds, rhinology, type of nosebleed