JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – No parent expects their child to get injured but if they get a bloody nose or for a tooth to get knocked out, are you prepared?
Nosebleed
The most common cause of nosebleeds is picking your nose or some kind of trauma to the nose.
Daniel Thimann, an emergency room doctor at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, explained the best way to treat it and the things you want to avoid doing.
“To treat this, apply pressure to the soft part of your nose for 5 minutes without lifting your fingers,” he said. “Then release, if this does not stop the bleeding, try again for 10 minutes, then release.”
These are some of the techniques you can use to prevent nose bleeds:
- Stop picking your nose
- Use saline spray or Vaseline to keep the nose moistened
- Adults may use nasal decongestants to help stop the bleeding if pressure did not help. These should be used with caution in children. Talk to your doctor before using this in kids.
You do not need to:
- Lean back or forwards
- Apply pressure with your tongue to the top of the palate
- Apply ice to the nose to stop the bleeding
Seek medical attention if the bleeding does not stop, you feel dizzy or lightheaded. This is very common in people who do not like seeing blood or get queasy at the sight of blood. Also, try not to blow your nose after a nosebleed and refrain from touching it. If you are concerned, talk to your doctor or follow up with an ear, nose and throat specialist.
Knocked out tooth
Local dentists recommend the best way to save the tooth is to prevent it from drying out. If your child is old enough, put the tooth back in the socket and have him or her, hold it there until you get to the dentist. If it’s bleeding too much or hurts too much to do that, the second-best option is to put the tooth in a cup of milk.
Milk contains several things that the cells on the root need to survive, like sugars, antibacterial agents, and proteins that maintain the right balance of acids. It does not matter what kind of milk, skim, whole, or low fat, but it is better to use milk than water. Why? Immersing the tooth in water can cause the cells on the root to swell and burst.
If you don’t have any milk and your child is old enough, have him or her hold the tooth on the inside of their cheek, but make sure they do not swallow it.
If they’re too young, try putting the tooth in a cup and have your child spit in it. There should be enough saliva to cover the entire tooth. You should get to your dentist as soon as possible.