T.A. asks from Ventura, CA on April 09, 2009
2 Year Old with Nose Bleeds
Hi fellow mommies,
My 2 year old daughter has had major nose bleeds the last couple of days. She wakes up in a small pool of blood and has nosebleeds on and off throughout the day. We do all the normal nose bleed precautions; kleenex in her nose, vaseline.... I just heard from the Dr. that they want her to get her nose cauterized. Has anyone had any experience with this?? I'm worried...
So What Happened?™
Thank you all for easing my mind and sharing your stories! We actually did NOT get cauterized, yet. My daughter was so upset just looking at the numbing machine and equipment, he recommended we wait it out. He recommended waiting as long as possible and hopefully, the bleeding would pass and it will be come a mess issue rather than a life threatening situation. Of course, if she were to bleed again for longer than a couple hours, we were told to take her in right away - to either the ENT or the ER. The bleeding started to shorten over the weekend and she didn't bleed at all during the night. I'm very glad we waited it out!! Both her father and I had nose bleeds as kids - I guess it runs in the family. Thank you again!!
Featured Answers
A.S. answers from Los Angeles on April 10, 2009
Put a humidifier on in her room at night. Huge help for my daughter who used to get a lot of bloody noses!
1 mom found this helpful
D.H. answers from San Diego on April 10, 2009
i have never heard of that but sounds like she has a possible leaking blood vessel or vein and to cauterize would kind of sear the tissue where the bleeding is coming from.i wouldnt worry.that sounds very reasonable and easy procudre and so great that they can do something like that.i hope all goes well or went well.take care and HAPPY EASTER!
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M.C. answers from Las Vegas on April 09, 2009
HI there,
I would get a second opinion from a GOOD ENT Dr first! Never hurts before going through any kind of surgery! You will feel better also after meeting with an ENT that specializes in this.
Good luck!
1 mom found this helpful
T.G. answers from Los Angeles on April 09, 2009
T., my 4 year old has nosebleeds a lot too. I believe that in our situation it is genetic since his dad gets them fairly frequently as well. The one thing that I have noticed that helps is the saline nose sprays. We use Baby Ayr saline spray for kids. I am sure that they are all the same. I notice the nosebleeds more when the air is very dry or the winds are blowing. My son has gotten to the point now that he knows when he is bleeding or going to start bleeding and gets the tissue and then comes to me or his dad. I would double check with another doctor because awhile ago one of the doctors we mentioned the nosebleeds to mentioned a disease that is associated with nosebleeds. I am sorry that I can't remember the name and it was nothing major but evidently treatment for this disease would also cure the nosebleeds. I would try saline spray 2-3 times a day and especially before bed. I think my husband had his nose cauterized as a child and he doesn't really seem to remember it being a big deal. The only reason we haven't done it is because the saline seems to be working for now. One other quick note, if your daughter goes to daycare/school be sure to mention to all the teachers that she is getting nosebleeds. People who are not accustomed to seeing noesbleeds (and a lot of blood) may panic.
1 mom found this helpful
A.S. answers from Los Angeles on April 10, 2009
Put a humidifier on in her room at night. Huge help for my daughter who used to get a lot of bloody noses!
1 mom found this helpful
T.L. answers from Los Angeles on April 10, 2009
Yup, like a couple others said, try saline nosesprays. I am pregnant and getting a lot of nosebleeds, but when I remember to do the saline sprays, the mucus stays clear and no bloody noses.
L.R. answers from Honolulu on April 10, 2009
My 6 year old has had several nose bleeds over the past year. They were getting more and more frequent and lasted so very long. We were putting her in the bathtub, holding the bridge of her nose, putting ice on the back of his neck, trying to wait out the bleeding. They started off on one side and then later both sides would bleed. The nurse recommended the saline drops and also to put a little bacitracin (first aid ointment) in the nose a few times a day for a week or two. She said that once the nose had a cut, it would probably occur again, as the scab was trying to heal inside the nose, the skin around the scab is dry and if she scratched or bumped it, it would reoccur and continue to get worse. The saline drops and bacitracin both keep the nose moist and allows the cut to heal completely. It's helped tremendously. Good luck!
D.M. answers from Los Angeles on April 09, 2009
T.,
My sister had this done as an adult and it was in her opinion no big deal. She had it done because her ENT was not happy with how her nosebleeds had increased, and her sinuses were always inflamed. However, she will have to have it done again in a year because it doens't 'last' as our doctor put it.
But, I'm wondering if you've seen an ENT or if this is the opinion of the Pedi? My sister and I both have allergies, hers worse than mine, and we both suffer from nose bleeds due to dry nasal passages as a result of the allergies.
You might want to ask for a referal if you don't already have one and get a second opinion. If it's only been a couple of days there night be some alternatives to the procedure before you go that way.
C.A. answers from Los Angeles on April 10, 2009
I had my nose cauterized as a teenager. I got bloody noses all the time. it smelled bad-but, it didn't hurt. I wonder if a 2 yr old need to be sedated?
M.K. answers from San Diego on April 10, 2009
Hi! I had chronic nosebleeds as a child. It would bleed and bleed and bleed...My cappilaries were very close to the surface...my doctor suggested cauterizing...We did that and I never had problems again. The cauterizing was a little bit painful but I wonder if they have perfected the technique now so that it's not? Anyway...worked for me!
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