Introduction
Your child has suffered a nosebleed known as epistaxis. This can be frightening but they aren’t usually anything serious and can be managed at home. This leaflet will provide you with information on how to care for your child’s nosebleed at home.
If you have any questions or if there is anything you do not understand about this leaflet, please contact:
Children’s Assessment Unit on 02476 865 631
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust switchboard number: 02476 351 351
What to do to stop a nosebleed
- Get your child to sit down, lean forward and firmly pinch the soft part of your child’s nose just above the nostrils for at least 10 -15 minutes. Encourage your child to breathe through their mouth. This will encourage blood to drain down the nose instead of down the throat. (If your child is old enough, they may be able to do this themselves).
- Place an ice pack covered in a towel on the bridge of the nose.
- Encourage your child to stay upright and not lie down as this reduces the pressure in the blood vessels of the nose and will help to stop the bleeding.
When to seek medical advice
- If the bleeding does not stop after 20 minutes, then you should make your way to the nearest emergency department.
- If the bleeding is heavy and your child has lost a lot of blood.
- Your child is having difficulty in breathing and a pale complexion.
- Your child is vomiting due to swallowing a large amount of blood.
- Your child has suffered a serious injury causing the nosebleed.
- Your child has a diagnosed blood disorder and/or is taking blood thinning medication preventing the nose bleed from stopping.
- Your child is under 2 years of age as this is unusual and could be a sign of an underlying condition.
- Your child is suffering regular nose bleeds.
Recovery post nosebleed
Once your child’s nose has stopped bleeding, you should follow the advice below to allow the nose to heal, minimise infection and prevent a further nosebleed.
- Avoid blowing or picking the nose for 24 hours.
- Avoid strenuous exercise, heavy lifting or lying flat for 24 hours.
- Don’t remove any crusts that form inside your child’s nostrils. These are part of the healing process.
- Encourage your child to sneeze with their mouth open to reduce the pressure in the nose.
George Eliot Hospital is a smoke free environment. For help and advice to stop smoking you can call the national helpline on 0300 123 1044 or visit https://
Copyright
Except where otherwise noted, this item is licensed under the CC BY license (https://
If you are a rights holder and are concerned that you have found material on our patient information resources website, for which you have not given permission, or is not covered by a limitation or exception in national law, please contact us using the Feedback form providing your contact information and full details of the material.