Nose Bleeds 101 ~ Mommy, Remember To Stay Calm

Since Christmas Eve my little kiddles have been plagued with nose bleeds at least once every day. It comes hand in hand with living in the High Sierras and cold weather, but come on!  I need a break from the frantic screams and panic that come with each bleed!

My little Rose gave me a bit of a scare yesterday.  Okay, in all honesty I was ready to race her through the doors of our Urgent Care demanding immediate attention.  NEVER had I seen so much blood come pouring out of my child!  I honestly didn't think that it was possible for a nose to bleed so much...and for so long!  Turns out once I calmed down and remembered that I could Google for my answer everything came back into normalcy...with the help of Charming.

I was in the bathroom with Rose, who was panic stricken, and yelling orders for him to do searches for answers before packing her up to head to the Urgent Care.  One of the most touching things though was the fact that my Grace went into her room and returned with a book to read to her little sister while I followed my hubby's directions.  She even made facial expressions for the different characters to make her little sister laugh.  Then 30 minutes after our ordeal began, it was over.

One of the key things I learned was that the first thing my mother used to have me do is exactly what Dr. Oz instructs not to do. See #4 for this one.  My mom always meant well, and for me it was never a real problem other than having to make several trips to the sink to get the blood out of my mouth.

So, in an effort to help other mommies out there in the case of such an "emergency", I am passing along the information that I have now committed to memory. It really wasn't very hard.

In The Case Of A Nose Bleed

1.) Mommy, STAY CALM!  No matter how much blood you see draining out of your child's nose (and/or mouth), do not panic.  When they see their super heroine mommy going into a panic it triggers mass hysteria in the patient.

2.) Talk calmly and reassure the little bleeder that they are not going to die.  There is more than enough blood in their body.

3.) Grab a tissue and pinch their little nostrils together, firmly.

4.) DO NOT tilt their head back or have them lay down!  This could cause them to choke on or inhale their blood...not the solution to the problem.  In fact, this could cause a whole other scenario making it necessary to visit the nearest urgent care/ER.

5.) Apply pressure just under their nose and above their upper lip. If they will allow it, even better to apply pressure underneath the upper lip, right in the center, against the gum line.  There is a main vein that runs there and in doing this you can cut off its flow, allowing time for the bleed to stop.

6.) Wrap an ice cube in a paper towel and use it to apply pressure as described in step 5.  This will also help to slow the blood flow.

#4, 5 & 6 should be done for 5-15 minutes.  If the bleeding persists, repeat for an additional 5-10 minutes. If it still persists then you should contact a 24 hr. nurse line or make your way to the nearest urgent care/ER.

7.) Wrap an ice cube in a paper towel and apply just above the bridge of their nose, between the eyes.(A tip that my Auntie gave me. She suffered from bleeds throughout her adolescence.)

8.) Remove the blood clot from their nostril(s). Reapply pressure for 5 minutes to insure that the bleeding stops completely. The clot needs to be removed gently so that the source of the bleed can fully heal.  If not removed, it can all begin again.This is the part I have trouble with.