Is it normal for children to have nosebleeds and what are the causes?
Nosebleeds are something that many children suffer from. They can occur in a range of different circumstances and are usually very simple to deal with at home. Most nosebleeds in children aren’t usually anything to be worried about but they can look alarming and parents are often concerned, especially if this happens more than once. So, this is what you need to know about normal childhood nosebleeds and their causes.
What is a nosebleed?
It is usually caused by a broken blood vessel inside the nose that triggers bleeding from the tissue inside of the nose. Most childhood nosebleeds will come from the front part of the nose because this is where you’ll find a high number of small blood vessels that can be damaged very easily. A nosebleed from the back of the nose is not usually something that is seen in children - if this happens it may be a sign of a more serious problem, such as a tumour. The simplest way to tell whether a nosebleed is coming from the front or back of the nose is to pinch the nose - a front nosebleed will stop when this is done but a bleed coming from the back of the nose won't.
What causes a nosebleed?
There are many different factors that can have an influence over whether your child has a nosebleed. One of the most common is nose-picking, which can irritate the lining of the nose and cause it to bleed. Some other reasons why this might happen include:
- A foreign object has become stuck in the child’s nose
- The child has a cold or suffers from allergies that irritate the nose
- There has been some kind of physical injury to the nose e.g. during sports
- Your child has been blowing their nose too hard
- A very dry environment - nosebleeds are more likely to happen in dry climates and winter because central heating can cause a dry cracking inside the nose
- Nasal steroid sprays are not being properly used
- Where there is bleeding from another part of the body e/g/ the gums
Is it normal for children to have nosebleeds?
Nosebleeds will affect around 60% of the population at some point in their lifetimes so it’s not an unusual problem. Only around 6% of people go on to require medical attention. If your child is struggling with nosebleeds and these don’t resolve on their own there are some good reasons to seek specialist ENT attention. For example, if your child is experiencing nosebleeds that go on for 15 or 20 minutes at a time or nosebleeds are recurring regularly. If you notice that the nosebleed is only happening on one side of the nose then this is also a good reason to reach out for specialist help.
It’s normal for children to have nosebleeds, especially under the age of 10. However, if your child is experiencing a persistent or severe form of nosebleeds then it may be essential to get medical help.
