My child gets nosebleeds. Should I be worried?

Occasional nosebleeds are fairly common in children ages 3 to 10. They occur when the thin blood vessels in the front part of the nose burst from any type of irritation such as trauma, excessive blowing or sneezing, very dry air or weather that is extremely hot or cold (which causes the nasal passages to get dry), and colds or allergies. Nosebleeds are usually not serious and go away with home treatment (like pinching the nose for about 10 minutes).

Nosebleeds are rarely cause for worry, but in the interest of your kid's health, you should contact your pediatrician if any of the following occur:

• Your child had a recent fall or trauma to his head.
• Your child feels weak or dizzy.
• The nosebleed continues after 10 minutes of applying pressure or happens frequently.
• Your child bruises easily, bleeds from his gums, or has heavy bleeding from minor cuts and wounds.
• Your child has a foreign object (such as a bead) in his nose.
• Your child is taking any medication that could cause bleeding.