Landon and The Nose Bleeds

Now that sounds like a kick ass band name but I thought I would talk about Landon and his nose bleeds. I have mentioned it before but never in detail. I figured I might as well to help parents with this issue learn that it’s OK and life will go on.

(Un)fortunately, Kevin was plagued with the same problem as a kid. It is a good thing now because he knew the minute Landon started to get them that it was completely normal and nothing to freak out about. Just the way junk is formed up in there and changes in pressure and climate. This was good for when you find your child like this one morning:

Landon Nose Bleed

Yup. Now he had had blood from multiple teeth coming at night before but this was impressive. Pools of it on the sheets, sleep sack covered, crusted blood in his hair…I wish I would have been witty enough at 6am to come up with an alternate story line involving ninja toddlers on a mission to steal his Thomas…but alas, I just felt sorry for him. He hadn’t really even woken up all night so it just kept collecting. We could have never known. Ever since then, we have no stain free sheets and learn it just happens.

I give some credit to the calm nature about this to my mother in law. While it was an issue when Kevin was little, his mama is no stranger to the grosser things in life since she pulled calves and castrated sheep while pregant (and you thought I was bad ass). She dealt with it in a calm and collected manner. Apply pressure and move one. His did happen a good bit and so they eventually got his nose cauterized to help it a little from being a hassle. I have been on the fence about LT with this. When we go through a week of nose bleeds, I think about it but then it stops and I forget about it.

With our calm approach to it, I think we have helped Landon mature. I know that sounds silly for a 3 year old but I’m serious. He takes them like a champ. Never freaking out. Like this morning, he came walking into our room “my nose bleedin” and sure enough it was just starting to drip. He managed only 2 drops on the carpet before we got him. He then grabs the tissue and holds it. Seriously…it is amazing. We can wad it up and put it up his nose. No worries. He doesn’t fight us…just goes with the plan. This has happened at daycare many times. Usually the first time in a new room we get a panicked call from the teacher and we say “is he ok?” and they say “yeah he is really calm and helps us clean it up”. Then they talk to his previous teachers who find it old news and everything is fine. He has been known to get up from nap to go get a paper towel before it really starts. I mean CMON…a responsible toddler? Who coulda thunk it?

So a few tips for nose bleeds:

  1. Don’t freak out. It is only going to make them freak out and there is no need. Shit happens…you deal with it.
  2. Apply pressure to the nose. I know Landon can get fidgety with this but I try and sing silly songs and talk to him. It distracts him.
  3. Once they are older, place a cheap wash cloth (like the ones you used for pee barriers during early diaper changes) in their crib/bed. Once they learn what it feels like, they can actually catch a lot of it. Landon cleaned it all up one day and we never knew until we found the cloth. So proud.
  4. Be sure to let child care providers know about it and relay the calm nature. Luckily Landon was pretty used to it by the time he did it at school. Each new class gets a little shock every once in awhile but they tell me his calm reaction to it makes them realize it’s ok.
  5. Keep tissue boxes at arms length for them in the house. He catches them way before we do. Having access to tissues can save your floors.
  6. Talk to your pediatrician if you feel like it is hindering your child. If it is happening so much to interrupt their day to day activities, there are options. Otherwise, start making up awesome stories about Toddler fight clubs.

Now let me go Resolve the carpet…

5 thoughts on “Landon and The Nose Bleeds

  • June 29, 2012 at 5:43 pm
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    Aww poor kiddo. He looks like a total badass though!

    I had the same issue when I was a kid. They eventually got bad enough that my Mom let my pediatrician cauterize my nose. Now, the man was (and still is) a great doc, but he totally F-ed it up and I had a big brown burn mark from the silver nitrate under my nose for a week (not a good thing for a pre-teen girl) and I still got nosebleeds. So we went to see an ENT, who cauterized it again, and I left with no marks and no more bloody noses.

    Moral of my babble? When/if you decide to do it, consider seeing an ENT. It’s a minor procedure for any doc, but why not pay a little higher copay to get it done right? I still get them occasionally – maybe like twice a year. More than the average adult, but totally manageable.

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  • June 29, 2012 at 9:17 pm
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    Great tips and advice Brandy. I got them bad as a kid, and MTB gets them all the time too. We took the same approach when he was a toddler and it really helped – and paid off. He totally manages them himself and mentors bloody nose kids at school now too!!! :). For my worst ones I also apply pressure under the jaw line on which ever side is bleeding too… Like slow the carotids down!? Some ENT told us that long ago and it seems to also help.

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  • June 29, 2012 at 11:44 pm
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    This is why I love reading blogs!! There is a good chance that neither of my boys will get nosebleeds since we don’t have a family history (that I’m aware of). But at least if they or one of their friends ever does I will know not to freak out and actually have a clue as to what to do!! Thank you so much for sharing!!

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    • July 1, 2012 at 8:00 pm
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      Great! So glad it could help. IT was something new to me but I am glad I have Kevin to help me understand.

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