Dry Nose Bleeding

My 4 year old has a very dry nose he picks it quite often, which leads to bleeding.what is recommended to use on the inside of his nose?
( 5 Jun 2009)

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This is not an uncommon problem especially if you live in an area that is excessively dry or arid. Inhaling extremely dry air can cause the mucous within the nostrils to dry up and harden. This can irritate the insides of the nostril and cause children to pick their noses in an attempt to remove it.

If the mucous has stuck to the sides of the nostril, children tend to use unnecessary pressure and can leave the skin raw and bleeding. This problem can be remedied with a few simple changes to ensure that there is minimum drying.

Your first step should be to get a humidifier.

This will add moisture to the air and will prevent nasal fluids from drying up. You will need to use it whenever your son is in the house. In addition to this, you can heat a large saucepan of water until it comes to the boil. Once it boils, take it off the heat and place it in his room. Make sure that the saucepan is out of his reach. Do this every night especially when humidity levels fall. This will help to keep his air passages well moisturized throughout the night and will prevent any buildup.

You should discourage your son from scratching his nose vigorously. However, since children often have a way of doing exactly what you tell them not to, it would be wise to keep his nails as short as possible. After you cut his nails, use a file or an emery board to smoothen the nail so that there are no jagged bits sticking out that can scrape his nostrils. It would be advisable to soak his hands in warm water before you cut his nails as this will soften them and make them easier to cut. You can also cut his nails after a warm soak.

You can use a moistened q-tip to clean out any dried up fluids that are irritating him. Moisten the area with the cue tip and after a minute or so carefully remove the irritant. Dab another q-tip in petroleum jelly and use it to coat the insides of his nostrils. Make sure that you apply the jelly only to the opening of the nostrils.

If there is a scab in his nose he will try to pick at it. Make sure that he does not do this as it can make the injury worse. Apply a little extra petroleum jelly to the scab to soften it and promote quicker healing.

answered by a on 5 Jun 2009, 5:45:46

Dry Nose Bleeding

My 4 year old has a very dry nose he picks it quite often, which leads to bleeding.what is recommended to use on the inside of his nose? ( 5 Jun 2009)

My 4 year old has a very dry nose he picks it quite often, which leads to bleeding.what is recommended to use on the inside of his nose?
( 5 Jun 2009)