Frequent Nose Bleeds

I've read most of the responses you've gotten. So far, I've not read the one that my ENT gave me for bleeding noses...

Once the bleeding has stopped... take a cotton swab dipped in liquid Benadryl and run it GENTLY up each nostril. The medication shrinks the openings (much like Preperation-H does with other problems) and they heal much faster. I've found, strange as this sounds, it works like a charm!
D.

My son will be 4 on the 26th of this month and he gets an average of 2 nosebleeds a day. I did also untill I was about 16 years old and so did my mother in law. I have yet to find a way to prevent them, but if you get any good tips please let me know. It seems to me that it is the weather changes more than the air being dry or anything like that. He gets them when it suddenly gets cold, or goes from sunshine to rain, then back again. I was the same way. I eventually out grew them and I don't think I've had even one since I was 16, but now I have terrible sinus problems, and that's my only concern for my son. If nosebleeds in childhood are linked to sinus problems in adulthood then I'm very concerned for him. His pediatrician dosen't really have much to say about them, and I am now currently looking for a new doctor for him. Good luck! I've been working on teaching him how to stop the bleeding on his own and clean up afterwards so when I'm not around, or if he's in preschool he can take care of it himself. That's all I can do at this point.

My then 7 year old daughter did this last winter to the point that the blood backed up into her tear ducts and scared the life out of me!! After several frantic calls to the pedi and the ED where I work...I was assured this was ok but to get her to pinch higher on her nose. The cause of these nighttime bleeds? Allergies. A seasonal round of nighttime Zyrtec put a stop to the nosebleeds. Now she has one very infrequently and only when the heater first comes on in the fall/winter and the humidity drops. I have a vaporizer that I run instead of the cool mist humidifier and it seems to work better.

My son and my nephew both get nosebleeds. My nephew has gotten them to the point that they actually did some type of procedure on him at the doctor's office. My son gets them more often in the winter and mostly at night. We have been using the saline nose drops and they work as long as you use them every night. Also, the pans filled with water on the heater vents works also. It is a cheap way to get moisture into the air. Probably not practical with three year olds running around though. I have never heard of the honey thing either. Sorry. We keep tissues right at the bedside and if my son gets a nosebleed here or there he is used to them now so he grabs a tissue automatically and comes to get me. Try the saline drops. My son is seven and he does them by himself every night before bed. They work for us. Good luck.

Hi my name is L. and my stepson goes through the same thing. We put a vaperizor in the hall with that liquid vics in it and also put one of the waterless vaperizors in his room. The ones that plug in. That has seemed to help him alot. Also the change in the weather will make his nose bleed also. But the vaperizors seem to work great for us. My husband also has the same problem so it works for the whole family. The Honey thing I have never heard of either and I have a home remidies book and that is not in it. Sorry. Hope something I said will help.

my son and daughter had same problem its because their nose drys out my suggestions are buy ocean nasal spray its just a saline solution (stereal water) spray some in both nostrels and/or rub vaseline in his nose with q-tip just a little to help keep it moist their doctor told me to do it and it worked
it won't be as bad when winter is over. so good luck!

I would be sure to give him Ocean or Ayr nasal spray a few times a day. They are just saline sprays and will keep his nose moist. You could also dab a little vaseline up there with a q-tip. I'm guessing his nose is very dry inside and bleeds in the middle of the night when he rubs or itches it.

I know, this happens to me!

I would also hope your pediatrician would have some good suggestions as well.

Dear C.:

I am a medically retired (read disabled) Physician Assistant & Midwife Certified in both PA & AK. I have never heard of using the honey to help with a dry nose. I have used honey in the honeycomb all my life to ward off the flues and colds that winter brings, I don't know how it works but it does, about 1/2 teaspoon of honey with the honeycomb every morning and you chew on the honeycomb like it is gum until all the flavor is gone. It also seems to help with allergies.
This leads me to my next thought. It is quite possible that your son has allergies and that the dust that all furnaces grace our homes with in winter is getting to him and making it worse. As far as the picking at his nose goes, the mucous membrane is dried out and bothersome he could easily be picking in his sleep without even knowing it. It would make sense then that during the day you don't see the nose bleeds as he may not pick his nose on purpose.
The Nasal Saline mentioned by one Mom is a good idea. I have used it and it is nice because it keeps the membranes moist and flexible allowing them to heal and stop bleeding.
As far as the Vaseline goes anyone who is reading this should know NEVER put Vaseline in the nostrils. Vaseline is a petroleum product and breathing it in can cause pneumocystic pneumonia. No one wants that, it is a nasty type of pneumonia that is very difficult to get rid of. This applies not only to Vaseline but to Vicks vapor rub as well as it is petrolatum based.
Another think you might want to try along with the cool mist vaporizer is to take pans of water and put them on (if your heat vents are in the floor, or in front of [if they are in the wall) the heat vents, this will keep the house filled with much needed moisture throughout the day. I use a cheap set of mixing bowls that I picked up at a dollar store. It seems to work well and is not near as noisy (unless you have one of the silent vaporizers).
I don't know that I have helped you too much, but I hope you find something useful amidst my writings.

Take care and try to stay healthy while we all get hit with this heavy winter.

Best of everything,
J.