bloody noses

[theamazingtrace]

hi there. i've never had a bloody nose (knock on wood), so i know absolutely nothing about them. our DD seems to have them every now and then, and i'm wondering if there is anything causing/contributing to this. i thought it was a "normal" thing that some people are more prone to than others. someone mentioned the possibility of her being deficient in iron (since she doesn't like meat- she spits it out), so could that be a contributing factor? i had never heard of anything like that before, but i thought i'd ask you all. TIA!

[jasabo]

A frequent cause is dry mucus membranes in the nose. If the skin in her nose is too dry, it'll crack and cause nose bleeds, often after she sneezes or scratches, or does something that moves her nose around. You might try dabbing a tiny amount of Vaseline on a Q-tip and rub it around in each nostril once or twice a day. That might help.

And, as always, check with your ped if you're concerned.

[Marisa6826]

Definitely a dry environment will contribute to bloody noses. I used to get them constantly as a child. Fortunately, I've outgrown them for the most part. Have you tried putting a humidifier in your DD's room? That would probably help. And yes, putting some Vaseline, or something similar (I sometimes use a little Neosporin) in her nostrils will help.

In addition, also keep her fingernails short to prevent any nicks resulting from any exploratory missions ;).

Whatever you do, DON"T put her head back during a nosebleed. It will only cause her to swallow the blood. Instead, pinch the bridge of her nose while holding an icepack to the back of her neck. It will help contract the blood vessels and slow the bleeding.

Here's some good information on nosebleeds: http://askdrsears.com/html/8/T082700.asp

-m