Ask Dr Franz

Q:Both my sons, ages 8 and 10, get random nose bleeds some of which are really bad. This happens at least twice a week. Is this common for boys?

A: Nosebleeds can be very common. Literature says #1 reason is picking the nose. I wish that were the real reason. LOL.  Nosebleeds are often from allergies….a chronic clear runny nose  or on and off that causes the blood vessels in the nose to become fragile and they will easily bleed with minimal effort. One can roll over on their pillow at night and brush the vessels from pillow pressure and the nose will bleed. If they last less than 10 minutes and are easy to stop, then we recommend putting Vaseline on a q-tip and putting in the nose – on the middle wall- the septum where the vessels are. This helps keep them moist and will bleed less easily. Do this twice a day for 3 weeks.

There are other reasons to have recurrent nose bleeds. If they are becoming more frequent and harder to stop they need to see an ears, nose and throat (ENT) doctor. Sometimes there is a polyp or some other reason and the ENT doctor will cauterize the area to stop the recurrent bleed. Sometimes too we will do blood work to make sure there is not a bleeding tendency. We would love to see your boys in the office to help you more.

This is not a worrisome problem and is one that makes us all feel better if we see them in a visit.

Thank for asking. We love helping improve the health of your family.

– Dr Franz