My son (7 years old) tends to have nosebleeds in cycles ---
he'll have a week or so during which time he'll get several
rather minor nosebleeds (minor in the sense that the {*filter*} is
not flowing heavily and it clots/stops rather easily).  Then,
he might not get another nosebleed for a few more weeks or
even months but they do seem to return.  These bleeds have
begun in the last year. Aside of the bleeds that resulted
when he'd use his face and the wall to stop his forward
momentum, I don't recall these cycles of nosebleeds when he
was under 6.

I haven't kept a log of these but have begun one now to see
if there's a correlation between weather/temperatures and the
bleeds (for instance, I know that three bleeds in the last 3
weeks have coincided with his having been exposed to cold
temperatures (0-10 degrees F).  However, I also know that he
had several last spring/summer, when it was not cold. Our
nurse (at our HMO you have to go through a nurse before you
get to a doctor) said that these bleeds were nothing to worry
about.  Is it the case that some kids just get nosebleeds
(why?) or is it the case that some people are more
susceptible to them (again, how come?)?

Anyone else have problems with nosebleeds?  Should I
request/insist on a particular type of exam or test if they
persist?
Barbara White                   Carnegie Mellon University

I have generally found that the best way to stop MY nose bleeding is
to hold a flannel soaked in cold water around the top of my nose /
forehead and just waiting ( while leaning over a sink :-).

Eventually, when I was 23 I had one nostril cauterized. I wouldn't
recommend it as this has not helped the situation. Infact, there
seems to be some scar tissue up my nose now which I think aggravates
the situation sometimes.

I never suffer from high {*filter*} pressure, I have been told several
times by various doctors that I have slightly low {*filter*} pressure. I
have a feeling that I am more succeptible to nosebleeds when my {*filter*}
pressure is higher ( I have had nosebleeds at discos after dancing )
so this may be a factor for why I have not found a problem other times.

For me, nosebleeds have been an inconvenience but have not stopped
me doing anything at all. Obviously you have to make your own mind
up about how they affect your son. I've no idea what tests or whatever
may be available.

David.

---

--
Steve Dyer

nvv

Warning!!!!   I am not a doctor and I do not use the above medicines,
your results may vary....

What my quote file had to say on nosebleeds

"To stop a nosebleed, stand on your head till your heart stops beating."

--

So far my kids have shown no sign of inheriting this but
who knows when it will start? Anyway, it is not limited
to kids and does seem to be a susceptibility problem, perhaps
one that is inherited.

Check with your doctor or nurse about cauterizing if it
continues. Apparently there is no pain involved and it
takes a very short time...

Lorinda

They could generally be stopped by pinching the nose shut
for 5 minutes or, if necessary, by putting ice at the _back_
of my neck.  On one occasion, it wouldn't stop and we went
to the emergency room where (I think) the bleeding was
stopped by cauterization.

They stopped when I got older, although I can still get
them (very rarely--maybe twice a year) when I have a cold.
If I get one now, it is easy to stop. (I don't remember having
them often after I was 13 or so.)

Julian C. Lander

Does he have allergies?

I ask that because age 7 is around the time when I started getting sinus
infections all the time, etc. And, "coincidentally", I started having
a lot of nosebleeds.

The risk, though small, is that the constant vascular trauma can produce
erosion of nasal tissues, perforations, and deformations of internal
nasal structures. I'd suggest having an ENT check it out, and forward
you to an allergist if it seems warranted.

   bleeds (for instance, I know that three bleeds in the last 3
   weeks have coincided with his having been exposed to cold
   temperatures (0-10 degrees F).

These are normal, a result of exposure to dry hot interior air after
exposure to dry cold exterior air. Causes drying of the nasal membranes
and nose bleeds. Getting a humidifier for your home will help, if you
don't have one. Moisture is very good for this sort of situation.

   However, I also know that he
   had several last spring/summer, when it was not cold. Our

These may have been allergy related. They're the ones to think about.
Has he had sinus infections? Or seemed to have a "permenant cold"?

I don't know if there's anything to worry about. But it's probably
something to look into, if the other symptoms are there.

BTW, you have my condolences regarding your medical insurance. If I
can avoid it, I will never again be a member of a HMO. Some people
tell me that their HMO is wonderful, but every HMO I've ever had
contact with has tried to short me on health care today in hope that I
will be a member of another HMO when serious complications developed.
Make sure that your HMO isn't trying to do that with your child --
some of the newer/cheaper HMO's automatically assume that you'll be
with a new employer/new insurance company within three years, and if
complications take more than three years to arise from a chronic
condition (and permenant complications from allergies take years to
arise), well, the incentive is to "shove it forward" -- i.e., avoid
referral to a specialist, while providing some symptomatic relief to
keep the patient from complaining today. Luckily, symptomatic relief for
allergies avoids most of the long-term complications. But that may not
be true for other conditions...

--

        P.O. Box 92191  Lafayette, LA 70509

"Nasal spray" is a vasoconstrictor. It works by making the {*filter*}
vessels narrow, thus slowing down the flow of {*filter*} to the area.
That's why it might stop nose bleeds so swiftly. That's also why
using a vasoconstrictor on a daily basis is a Bad Idea -- it causes
more trauma (due to restricted {*filter*}flow), causing more inflamation,
etc.  etc. I've found that, for me, using nasal spray can actually
CAUSE nose bleeds, due to the rebound irritation that it causes -- the
oxygen-starved tissues demand oxygen once those {*filter*} vessels are free
to react again, and they react by swelling up as large as they can to
carry as much {*filter*} as possible.  And of course if they're stretched
like that, they "pop" and bleed much more easily than if they're in
their normal semi-relaxed positions...

Thus I'd suggest checking with your doctor before using Dristan nose spray
to stop nose bleeds. I suppose it depends on the severity and duration of
the nose bleed too, though... if it's lasted for more than a few minutes
and is gushing all over, you gotta do SOMETHING.

--

        P.O. Box 92191  Lafayette, LA 70509

--
_  /|  
\'o.O' ack!
=(___)=
   U  

I'm not a health professional, but I'm a bit of an expert on nosebleeds.
I was plagued by them all my young life, and still have a problem with
them. All of my five children also have nosebleed problems. The two youngest,
both boys, have the worst problem. The school calls frequently and has
demanded that we do something about them.

There is a {*filter*} vessel in the nose that lies close to the surface of the
inside nasal lining. In some people, this surface wall is very thin and
it breaks open easily in such people. It seems to be genetic. Various
circumstances can cause it to open up. The main condition is dryness.
This happens in the winter cold and in the summer heat. It can also happen
when using one's face to impede forward motion or stop someone's fist.

Another thing that causes it in my children and me is transitioning between
a runny nose and clearing up. I'm allergic to grass and when someone in the
neighborhood mows their lawn, I start to get congested. While congested I'm
fine, but when my nasal passages start to clear up, I start bleeding. Sneezing
can also bring it on.

What can be done
----------------

For chronic cases, a doctor can cauterize the {*filter*} vessel and seal it.
This, I believe, is effective for most people. My two sons had it done
and still have nosebleed problems, but they have improved.

During dry spells (winter or summer), I keep the wall between both sides
of my nose moist with vaseline.

I can usually feel a nosebleed coming on. It starts by an itching sensation
on that center nose-wall. If I carefully treat it with vaseline, it doesn't
bleed. If I give in to the demanding urge to rub that side of my nose,
I bleed.

The following joke was told to me by a little girl we know:

Q: What do you find inside a clean nose?
A: Fingerprints

Don't let anyone tell you that your son's nosebleeds are from picking his
nose too much. It just ain't so.

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|  I only express personal opinions,       | Rex Goode                        |
|  because they're the only kind I've ever | Integrated Measurement Systems   |
|  had.                                    | Beaverton, OR                    |

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Both of my sons said it hurt a lot!

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|  I only express personal opinions,       | Rex Goode                        |
|  because they're the only kind I've ever | Integrated Measurement Systems   |
|  had.                                    | Beaverton, OR                    |

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There you go.

Lorinda