Howard and I were curled up watching a TV episode before bed when I heard thumping upstairs. I went to investigate and found Patches in the hall with blood all over his face. He was half asleep, confused, and alarmed at the red smears all over his hands. He was vigorously upset with our efforts to clean him off. Then further upset at any suggestion we had to make. It was only when we proved that the bleeding had stopped that he began to relax some.
It is hard to be logical at midnight. Logic is especially hard to come by when you’re holding your blood coated child who is shrieking in uncharacteristic ways. Mostly I was just managing the problem and reassuring Patches, but part of my brain was busily at work providing the direst possible causes for Patches’ nosebleed. Trying to create sinister connections between a sole spontaneous nosebleed and a couple of allergy attacks from other family members was convoluted at best.
Fortunately Patches reassured me by being his normal self once he was calm and demonstrably not bleeding anymore. He snuggled in my lap and watched the online trailers for Meet The Robinsons and Happy Feet. Then he snuggled closer as I tucked him into our bed to go back to sleep. He was out again within minutes.
I hope this nosebleed is a fluke rather than the beginning of a pattern.
I don’t know if it’ll help, but if the weather’s dry where you are, that could be the cause. I’m living in Arizona these days, and in the dry seasons my nose gets dried out and I get nosebleeds. If it’s (anti-)humidity related, you can probably stop it by having Patches cup his hands, fill them with water, and dunk his nose a few times.
I don’t know if it’ll help, but if the weather’s dry where you are, that could be the cause. I’m living in Arizona these days, and in the dry seasons my nose gets dried out and I get nosebleeds. If it’s (anti-)humidity related, you can probably stop it by having Patches cup his hands, fill them with water, and dunk his nose a few times.
While it’s probably different for you folk, having kids grown up in the southwest, since transplanting ourselves from Florida coast, we always get nosebleeds in the winter.
For medical stuff, if it only happens once or twice in 24 hours, it’s probably ok (rolled over and bopped himself while sleeping?) but if it occurs several times in a day, would try to get medical attention for it.
/past Air Force medic, father of clumsy 6 year old
While it’s probably different for you folk, having kids grown up in the southwest, since transplanting ourselves from Florida coast, we always get nosebleeds in the winter.
For medical stuff, if it only happens once or twice in 24 hours, it’s probably ok (rolled over and bopped himself while sleeping?) but if it occurs several times in a day, would try to get medical attention for it.
/past Air Force medic, father of clumsy 6 year old
I use a spray called “Ocean”(I’m pretty sure that’s what’s it called) for my winter nose bleeds that my doctor suggested. A cold mist humidifier will also work.
I use a spray called “Ocean”(I’m pretty sure that’s what’s it called) for my winter nose bleeds that my doctor suggested. A cold mist humidifier will also work.
The likelyhood of me getting my three-year-old to voluntarily stick his nose into water is pretty much zero. I can just picture bloody water all over the bathroom and him and me in the attempt.
Fortunately I can just humidify the air in our house now that you’ve helped me identify dry air as a possible cause for nosebleeds.
The likelyhood of me getting my three-year-old to voluntarily stick his nose into water is pretty much zero. I can just picture bloody water all over the bathroom and him and me in the attempt.
Fortunately I can just humidify the air in our house now that you’ve helped me identify dry air as a possible cause for nosebleeds.
You’re right, it is probably dry air. In addition to living in a desert, we’ve had sub freezing temperatures for the past two weeks. This means our heater has been running lots and dehumidifying our air.
You’re right, it is probably dry air. In addition to living in a desert, we’ve had sub freezing temperatures for the past two weeks. This means our heater has been running lots and dehumidifying our air.
Good sugguestions. Thanks!
Good sugguestions. Thanks!
Same here, we’re in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, around 7,500′ elevation. I’m looking for one of those filter boxes that we can put on the dryer vent hose and pick up some humidity.
Same here, we’re in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, around 7,500′ elevation. I’m looking for one of those filter boxes that we can put on the dryer vent hose and pick up some humidity.
Most likely it’s just the dry winter – before we got our humidifier, my little guy got a spontaneous bloody nose, too. My husband always gets them in dry and/or smoky atmospheres. To prevent ’em, just get a humidifier for his room and run it at night while he sleeps.
Most likely it’s just the dry winter – before we got our humidifier, my little guy got a spontaneous bloody nose, too. My husband always gets them in dry and/or smoky atmospheres. To prevent ’em, just get a humidifier for his room and run it at night while he sleeps.
Yeah, the humidifier at my house really helped when I was a kid. I had dry-weather nosebleeds with some regularity.
I’ve also heard Vaseline recommended, but I have no idea how you’d manage to coat the inside of his nose. (I mean, a Q-tip would probably work functionally, but that doesn’t seem like something he’d want to stand still for either.) But it’s an option, if you can’t get anything else to work.
Yeah, the humidifier at my house really helped when I was a kid. I had dry-weather nosebleeds with some regularity.
I’ve also heard Vaseline recommended, but I have no idea how you’d manage to coat the inside of his nose. (I mean, a Q-tip would probably work functionally, but that doesn’t seem like something he’d want to stand still for either.) But it’s an option, if you can’t get anything else to work.
(I was going to suggest dry air but others beat me to it)
A small room humidifier made a MASSIVE difference in the comfort level of the bedroom. No more waking up with crusty eyes, chapped/cracked lips, dried throats … or risking an nosebleed every time we blew our noses.
And, no more static. Over 95% of the winter static electricity problem is gone in that room. No more crackling when we pet the cats or handle clothes just out of the dryer.
We got a warm-air humidifier, which requires a bit more maintenance work than the cold-air ones but felt nicer. You can get them for cheaper than the $50-something we spent: we went for a pricier unit that lets us program it to specific humidity % levels, delayed-start timer and stuff like that. It also has a small cup in the top for holding anything you want to have included in the steam, like cough aids (not a true nebulizer, but they try to make it sound like one).
In the long run you may want to look at getting a whole-house humifier unit that ties into your HVAC. That’s our plan, but we’ll be doing it when we have the furnace replaced (much cheaper that way, and it’s on the list of Major Spending To Do Once We’re Both Working Again). Here in Georgia you spend almost as many months de-humidifying as humidifying, and we’ll have to look at having the capacity to switch based upon the seasons.
(I was going to suggest dry air but others beat me to it)
A small room humidifier made a MASSIVE difference in the comfort level of the bedroom. No more waking up with crusty eyes, chapped/cracked lips, dried throats … or risking an nosebleed every time we blew our noses.
And, no more static. Over 95% of the winter static electricity problem is gone in that room. No more crackling when we pet the cats or handle clothes just out of the dryer.
We got a warm-air humidifier, which requires a bit more maintenance work than the cold-air ones but felt nicer. You can get them for cheaper than the $50-something we spent: we went for a pricier unit that lets us program it to specific humidity % levels, delayed-start timer and stuff like that. It also has a small cup in the top for holding anything you want to have included in the steam, like cough aids (not a true nebulizer, but they try to make it sound like one).
In the long run you may want to look at getting a whole-house humifier unit that ties into your HVAC. That’s our plan, but we’ll be doing it when we have the furnace replaced (much cheaper that way, and it’s on the list of Major Spending To Do Once We’re Both Working Again). Here in Georgia you spend almost as many months de-humidifying as humidifying, and we’ll have to look at having the capacity to switch based upon the seasons.
Easiest way to coat the inside of the nose without messing with q-tips is to just take a Chapstick and rub it in the nostril. Seriously. It also works well for easing the chapping and soreness when you’ve been blowing your nose & rubbing it with tissue so much that it’s cracking or tender.
A couple of years ago I bought a big multipack of Chapsticks, labelled a couple as mine and one of those has an “N” stuck to it. That way my husband’s not grossed out at the thought that I might mix up the one for my lips with the one “that’s got boogers on it”. *rolls eyes*
Downside of this is that with small kids, you don’t really want to go encouraging them to shove stuff up their noses, even soft wax sticks 🙂
Easiest way to coat the inside of the nose without messing with q-tips is to just take a Chapstick and rub it in the nostril. Seriously. It also works well for easing the chapping and soreness when you’ve been blowing your nose & rubbing it with tissue so much that it’s cracking or tender.
A couple of years ago I bought a big multipack of Chapsticks, labelled a couple as mine and one of those has an “N” stuck to it. That way my husband’s not grossed out at the thought that I might mix up the one for my lips with the one “that’s got boogers on it”. *rolls eyes*
Downside of this is that with small kids, you don’t really want to go encouraging them to shove stuff up their noses, even soft wax sticks 🙂
We actually do have a whole house humidifier. I just have to remember to turn it on when the weather gets cold. It has to be off during the summer because it makes the AC go wonky.
We actually do have a whole house humidifier. I just have to remember to turn it on when the weather gets cold. It has to be off during the summer because it makes the AC go wonky.
Oh. Yeah, that’s a much, much better idea.
Oh. Yeah, that’s a much, much better idea.
nosebleeds
My brother used to have a lot of problems with nosebleeds. His was caused by not enough salt in his diet. In the summer he had to take salt tablets.
nosebleeds
My brother used to have a lot of problems with nosebleeds. His was caused by not enough salt in his diet. In the summer he had to take salt tablets.