6 Natural Ways to Prevent Nose Bleeds in Children

Allergy season is a time when nose bleeds, also known as epistaxis, occur often.  Your child may have a spontaneous nosebleed, bleed after blowing their nose, or wake in the morning with dried blood on their nose, pillow or bedding. Nosebleeds associated with allergies are often due to dryness in the nose.  They may also occur if you live in a dry climate, if your child picks their nose (I don’t know a child who doesn’t) or if they're taking medications like aspirin or ibuprofen.  While nosebleeds are annoying there are a few easy ways to prevent those associated with dryness and allergies. 1. If nosebleeds occur at night or if you live in a dry climate I would recommend using a humidifier in your child’s room at night.   Make sure to take proper care of your humidifier and clean it regularly.  Turn it off in the morning to allow your child’s room to air out during the day.  For help selecting the right humidifier visit What to Look for in a Humidifier at Boogordoctor.com. 2. Another way to soothe and  moisturize the nasal passages is to use a saline nasal rinse, like a neti pot.  Nasal rinsing will also help clean pollen and other allergens out of the nasal passages.  This may be difficult for some children in the beginning, but gentle coaxing and persistence will pay off.   Your child might really like the Dr. Hana’s Nasopure nasal rinsing system which offers an alternative to the neti pot.   



3. Nasya Oil -  Nasya oil is a traditional ayurvedic remedy for dry sinuses and chronic congestion (for a brand of Nasya oil I trust Click Here).  Immerse the entire bottle of oil in warm to hot water to warm the oil.  Once the oil is warmed, apply a couple drops of the oil in the nose and gently message or tap the outside of the nose, working the oil into the sinus passage to help to moisten them.  Applying nasya oil after a nasal rinse in the morning and once again before bed is very helpful for dry nasal passages.  Here is a video on how to apply nasya oil:

Nasya Oil from Scott Blossom on Vimeo.

Nasya Oil from Doctor Blossom on Vimeo. 4. Vitamin C and bioflavinoids will help strengthen capillaries, making them less prone to bleeding.  Eating citrus fruits with the pith, bell peppers, apples, watermelon, garlic and onions are an easy way to get extra Vitamin C and bioflavinoids in the diet. 5. Vitamin K can help with proper blood clotting.  You can get added vitamin K in your child’s diet by incorporating homemade sauerkraut, grass-fed animal fats like homemade lard, raw dairy butter and raw cheese.  Vitamin K is also found in dark green leafy vegetables and cereal grasses like barley, wheat and oat grass.  Slipping some greens powder into a smoothie is a delicious way to get more vitamin K. 6. Nettles Leaf Tea is a preventative treatment for nosebleeds as it will help strengthen capillaries and is beneficial for treating allergies.  Give 1/2 cup of tea 2 - 3 times per day until nosebleeds subside. Each child’s situation is unique and if you find that your child is not responding to the recommendations above contact a qualified pediatric health practitioner for custom remedies.  In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) there are several different herbal remedies that are helpful in treating frequent bloody noses.  See our Pediatric Acupuncture Directory to find an acupuncturist near you who can prescribe a custom TCM herbal formula for your child.

Red Flag

If your child has persistent, long-lasting or worsening nosebleeds or difficulty breathing with nose bleeds please contact your pediatrician for evaluation.  Also check out 8 Reasons to See a Physician for Your Child’s Nosebleeds at Boogordoctor.com.

 Dose someone in your family suffer from nose bleeds?  Share Your Story in the Comments Below.

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