How to Stop Frequent Nose Bleeds and Help the Nose Pickers that Can Cause Them.

Have you ever squirmed when you see your child's "boogers" hanging off the walls or seen them shove a finger up their nose? You are not alone Many children pick their nose when they feel like something is up there. When the mucus hardens up there it can make it next to impossible for them to ignore. Now some parents dismiss picking as a bad nervous reaction to being anxious. The problem is not always with the child but with the environment drying out the mucus. The problem is when it starts ending up on their hands and walls and knobs around the house, they are spreading their germs everywhere. They can also cause a great number of bloody noses if they tear the inner lining of their nose. You must encourage them to use tissues to dispose of the mucus before you have to scrub down the walls and repaint. Most children know that nose picking can be the subject of teasing in their schools so ending the habit before this happens is of great importance. This issue is still apparent in many television shows that they watch and you should encourage them not to tease other children who have this bad habit. Frequent nose bleeds can be caused by over picking so if your child does pick his nose you will need to be prepared for them to happen.

Talk to him about washing his hands and staying hydrated. You can encourage him to drink more fluids during the day and put a humidifier in his room at night. If your child has allergies, you may want to try to reduce the allergens in your home. Talk to your doctor about using a saline solution and the possibility of having to medicate for some relief. Having your child use a saline nose spray to keep the "boogers" from hardening in his nose. Make sure you keep his nails trimmed and underneath them clean, this will cut down on him spreading the germs from under his nails to his nose. Talk to him about any other objects he may place in his nose since these can also tear the interior lining they should not be up there. Keep in mind that children rarely wash their hands enough you may want to carry around some hand sanitizer. Talk to him about his nose bleeds make sure that he understands that blood is a bodily fluid that can spread infections. He should learn how to take care of his own nose bleed since it is a common problem with most children ages three to ten it could keep happening for many years down the road. Make sure he knows to alert an adult in case the nose bleed becomes more serious then he can control. If he complains that his nose feels dry show him how to apply some Vaseline to the interior of his nose.

If your child is getting bloody noses from picking his nose to much and none of the other options listed above have helped you will need to seek professional help. Bloody noses can be a symptom of a more serious medical problem. Discuss the frequency of the bloody noses and any medications they may be taking to cause abnormal clotting. If your child gets a bloody nose you should have them pinch their nostrils with their thumb and index fingers while you grab a pack of tissues. You should encourage them to tilt their head forward slightly and hold a firm pressure for about five minutes. At the end of the five minutes have them let go of their nose to check if the bleeding has stopped. Make sure that your child stays sitting down or have them lie down with their head elevated above their heart. Do not allow them to put anything inside their nose if it is bleeding. If the bloody nose does not end after 15 minutes, was a result of injury or has lost a lot of blood you will want to head out the nearest emergency room as soon as possible. You can apply an ice pack to their nose and cheeks to relieve any swelling. Bloody noses can occur at any time so make sure you are understanding when this occurs since not all instances are caused by the fact that they were picking their nose. Talk to your spouse about keeping the heat lower at night to avoid drying out your child's air way passages the cooler air will be better for their little noses. You will want to keep it somewhere between 60 and 64 degrees in their bedrooms just make sure you give them an extra blanket to keep warm. If anyone in your household smokes you should ask them to smoke outside and away from your child. Smoking may cause your child to produce extra mucus as an adverse reaction to the second hand smoke.

Remind your child that if he feels he must pick his nose to remove a "booger" he should do it in private. Give him a pack of tissues to carry around so that he learns to dispose of it correctly. Keep in mind that your child may still revert to an occasionally slip up; do not punish him for forgetting. Ask your child's teacher or daycare provider to reinforce the positive way to remove "boogers" in a private way. Make sure that they can do this in a private fashion so that he is not embarrassed in front of his classmates. Ask them to help your child stay hydrated by allowing him to have trips to the water fountain or carry a small water bottle through out the day. Nose picking is a very common habit in children and even many adults still have this habit. You may not have a child that has a nose bleed problem, but If you find your child is ingesting the freshly picked mucus you will have a different motivation on getting them to stop, it is gross!