By Heather Legg
Just another symptom of allergies, beyond the sneezing, eye itching, coughing and runny nose…nosebleeds. They are not really as common as the other symptoms, but definitely can be caused by allergies.
So why do allergies cause nosebleeds? With allergies comes some nasal swelling which can make the capillaries more susceptible to bursting. Also, with some allergy medicines, drying of the nasal passages occurs which can also lead to broken capillaries. With allergies, a child is also more apt to rub his or her nose, therefore leading to nosebleeds. It’s more common in children than adults, as are nosebleeds in general.
Is it dangerous, no. With any type of bleeding, it usually looks like a lot more blood is being lost than actually is. Usually the bleeding lasts for only a few minutes, however if it lasts more than ten minutes with no sign of subsiding, it may be cause for concern. Both of my children have had numerous nosebleeds, sometimes a few in a week, sometimes months or years between them. It usually occurs more in the winter months or duing allergy season.
According to Dr. Greene,
the best treatment is keeping the child quiet, and tilting the head forward, are good ideas, but the most important step, as with most bleeding, is to apply direct pressure. For nosebleeds, this means gently pinching the soft part of your child’s nose against the center, using a thumb and forefinger.
This pressure should be held in place for 5-10 minutes by the clock, without peeking to see if the bleeding has stopped until the time is up. If the bleeding has not yet stopped entirely, you may repeat this one time.
In most cases, the bleeding will have stopped. If not, contact your physician or have your child seen right away.
Some other do’s and don’ts for nosebleeds:
• Do try to keep your child from picking or rubbing his or her nose (eaiser said than done sometimes), but this may help with nosebleeds.
• Do put a folded piece of tissue between the upper lip and gum in the front. This will apply pressure and help the bleeding stop.
• Don’t put tissue or anything up the nose to absorb the blood or try to stop the bleeding.
• Don’t blow the nose, you can blow out the clot that is trying to form.
• Don’t tilt the head back, it can cause blood to run down the throat and cause choking.
• Do try to relax (you and your child!). Less stress will help the bleeding stop.
If nosebleeds are extremely often, more than a few times a week for consistent weeks, or if they last for more than 10 minutes, you may choose to see your doctor or an ENT. Otherwise, try not to worry. Most kids have nosebleeds and they usually grow out of them by puberty.