12 Year Olds Bloody Nose's Not Stopping

Updated on January 04, 2010
J.K. asks from Anchorage, AK
21 answers

My 12 year old daughter has been suffering from bloody noses sense she was 3. she seems to get them a lot. When it hot outside, but even in the winter. anytime during the day, the last 4 have been when she showers, the other times have been in gym or playing or even in bed. dose anyone know what might be causing this and what can we do to help prevent them. they last as long as 25min. Please can any one help.

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B.H.

answers from Seattle on

This happened to my brother, they had my mom run the humidifier in the house to keep it moist especially at night. Also used like saline solution every now and again.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.T.

answers from Portland on

I had chronic nose bleeds as a little girl and it had to do with the capilaries inside my nose. The dr said put vaciline on a Q-tip and rub it around the inside of my nostrils every day and when it bleeds. This kept the cells moist and my nose stopped bleeding. You may want to try it before getting it cauterised but that also helps and that's what we would have done if the vaciline didn't work. I eventually grew out of it and stopped getting nose bleeds all together

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C.M.

answers from Anchorage on

Hi J.,

Here are some ideas... Lovely Alaska side effect, cold and dry = nose bleeds.
My husband used to get them BAD, lasting for an hour and just pouring. They have gotten better now, here is what he does.

-Ocean spray, every day 3 Xs a day. Its supposed to just keep the sinus' moist.
http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-Premium-Saline-Nasal-Spray/dp...

-Run a humidifier

-Keep the temperature in the 60s, especially at night. Keeps the air from being so dry from the heat. (this I believe has made the BIGGEST difference. It just so happened we tried cutting down our natural gas bill and had a great side effect!)

-Worst case scenario he had to have his nose cauterized. Didnt feel god but stopped the bleeds for the rest of the winter!

Good Luck, and hope you get some good ideas! I know Ill be watching to see if there is something that people have found that works that we havent tried yet!

1 mom found this helpful
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S.G.

answers from Medford on

Hi J.,
I also had this when I was younger and still on occasion get them..When I was about 12 I had my nose cauterized three times and it did nothing but cause me pain. I went to a natural path and he told me to use Baitracin it's similar to triple antibiotic ointment(just don't use neosporin, it's known to cause infection) I use a q-tip and rub some in my lower nasal cavity..That has worked wonders and I never get bloody noses anymore. I also use this on my five year old daughter now, works great! Hope this helps, S.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.C.

answers from Eugene on

Hi J.,

It sounds like your daughter has a deficiency of something. I would suggest taking her to a physician as soon as possible.

A very good reference to look at is http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com.

I hope that this helps.

Blessings,
C. C.

1 mom found this helpful
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V.D.

answers from Seattle on

it could be that she has a blood vessel or two on the surface inside her nose. in cases like that they blood vessel can break easily and often. the dr. can carterize it, it would be slightly but temporarily uncomfortable for her but would cut back on if not eliminate the nose bleeds. talk to the dr. about it.

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H.G.

answers from Portland on

Is she allergic to mold? My 8 year old is. I spent $90,000.00 getting the mold out of my house. My daughters' pediatrician told me "Some kids just get bloody noses." I didn't believe it, my daughter was perfectly healthy.
I can give you the websites of where to get bathroom fans that prevent mold. You can get a timer switch at Home Depot or Lowes. You are suppose to have your bathroom fan run for 20 minutes after you shower to prevent mold. Those are the cheap ways to keep it out of your house.

I am told mold allergies are quite common & cause the blood vessels in the nose to enlarge & come close to the surface, therefore causing a nosebleed.
Hope this helps.

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S.S.

answers from Seattle on

Noses really are sensitive. Have you tried Ocean Spray? It's a saline spray that keeps the nostrils moist. When your nose gets dry, it easily bleeds. Nose sprays like Vicks and other inhalents can cause nose bleeds too. Have you ever taken her to an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat Doctor)? It could be nothing since she's had this problem for so long. There could be a very simple solution that could benefit her. I'm sure having all those nose bleeds are a huge inconvenience.

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L.R.

answers from Seattle on

First off I will start by saying, if she hasn't seena doctor for this, then she should. If she has in the past then no worries. My son has always gotten bloody noses frequently. It is usually due to the vein in the nose being close to the surface. If they are very severe they can do a small procedure that closes off that particular vein. If it is only a minor annoyance, then swiping the inside of her nose with vaseline will coat the membranes enough to help them not be so frequent. This will have to be done a few times a day as a preventive measure. Medicinenet.com offers great advice on nosebleeds and how to help prevent them. Good Luck!

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W.C.

answers from Seattle on

I would also worry about her iron levels as she goes into puberty and begins to menstruate.

I hope that you have seen a doctor. If you haven't you might try it. I have heard somewhere that there is some way to stop recurring bloody noses.

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N.I.

answers from Portland on

Hi J.,

I used to get bloody noses all the time and later in life I found out that allergies can be a cause for them. I would go to a naturopathic doctor to have her tested. There is several in the Portland, OR area. If you would like the names of some I would be happy to supply them. I also found out that I have high toxic metals which I don't know if this is a cause or not but you can go online and look at what they say about it. However, I would check out the allergies first. If you don't want to go to a doctor just yet then you can do this on your own. I would check milk and milk products first. Do not let your child have any milk, cheese, yogurt, or any milk products for a month and then give her a glass of milk and see if she has a reaction. You can do this with each individual food or food group. It doesn't cost anything and it is a way to check to see if this is the cause.

It is important to get to the CAUSE and not just take care of the SYMPTOMS. Too many people take care of the symptoms and then later in life they have health problems because the CAUSE was not known.

N.
Health and Wellness Coach

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D.J.

answers from Seattle on

I'm going to second the vaseline. And checking in with your pediatrician.

My husband and son both have lots of nasty nosebleeds particularly when the whether changes from fall to winter and from spring to summer. Their nasal passages start getting horribly dry. The vaseline has eliminated most of the bleeds.

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E.H.

answers from Seattle on

I had the same problem when I was a little kid, I would do nothing and my nose would start to pour. The only thing that stopped it was getting the blood vessels in my nose that were too close to the surface and therefore breaking through and bleeding was getting them cauterized. If a person has been having frequent nose bleeds, it is most likely caused by an exposed blood vessel in their nose. Even if the nose is not bleeding at the time, it is cauterized to prevent future bleeding. I don't remember having it done but it solved the problem and I haven't had a problem since.

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P.H.

answers from Portland on

J.,
I just went through this with my 8 year old. We saw our family doctor and he sent us to an ENT (ear/nose/throat). During the exam he found the exact vessel that was causing the bleeds and cauterized it that day. It has been almost 3 months and he has not had a nose bleed since. He complained about his nose hurting for a day or two after the procedure but that was it. I would definitely seek a doctors advise if you haven't already. When she gets a nose bleed make sure to pinch the nostrils to stop the bleeding, like putting pressure on a cut. Tilt the head slightly forward, never back and put an ice pack on the back of the neck. These should help stop the bleeding quickly. Good luck.

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K.M.

answers from Seattle on

If your daughter is having frequent bloody noses, I would take her to the doctor to make sure that there isn't something serious going on.
A saline nasal spray works well to keep the nasal cavities moist.
During an actual nosebleed, Afrin nasal spray will constrict the blood vessels and help stop the bleeding. It's a must for any first aid kit!

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M.P.

answers from Spokane on

J.

I would take her to the doctor. I had the same problem when I was little and they discovered that my abnoids were too big for my nose. Once they were removed I have never had another bloody nose since. I hope this helps.

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A.M.

answers from Seattle on

I don't know what to tell you is causing them, I would go and see a Naturpathic Doctor they would be more likely to help you find the cause instead of just giving a drug.

You might also consider she may be anemic. You could try giving her floridix which is a natural iron and other nutrient suppliment ( much safer than other forms of iron supplimentation) and see if it gets better. Another option is molasis and cooking in cast iron cookwear with acidic foods (like tomatoes and such)

When the bleeding starts you might also want to the liquid form of the herb Shepard's Purse. It helps stop bleeding. I first discovered it as a doula, it was an herb midwives gave after a birth to make it so mom did not bleed too much. I have used it on many occassions with my kids, ( nose bleeds and even once for a laceration that needed 6 stitiches) it works well and could make it so that she is not losing so much blood when she does have them until you get the issue resolved.

Hope this is some help and hope you find an answer soon.

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S.K.

answers from Toledo on

Hi J.,
You should have your daughter evaluated by an Ear/Nose/Throat doctor. I worked for a practice and we saw kids with chronic bloody noses all the time. They might be able to recommend a nasal spray she can use or she might need her nose cauterized. Good Luck.
S.

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A.B.

answers from Seattle on

Have you spoken with your doctor? Low platelets can cause frequent bloody noses - platelets are what help your blood clot. Does she also tend to have her gums bleed when brushing and/or seem to bleed more from small cuts? It's not necessarily serious, but something to be aware of. Other culprits might be dry air; any nasal sprays; etc. We have low platelets in our family - again, a not very big deal for us - and that is one of the symptoms, especially when I was a kid. A simple blood count at the doctor would tell you.

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A.T.

answers from Portland on

I don't know if you've taken her to a pediatrician yet, but I think it's necessary, I wouldn't wait.

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

I have a hx of nose bloods similar to your daughter's. When I was 9 or 10 the doctor cauterized the vessels in my nose. The long nose bleeds stopped. For the rest of my life and continuing now I keep my nostrils moist by using vaseline. When my nose gets dry it bleeds a small amount when I blow it but not a full scale nose bleed.

The bleeds were caused by blood vessels being too close to the surface. Heat and exercise caused them to rupture.

The only serious difficulty related to nosebleeds, that I've heard of, is also related to high blood pressure.

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