Q. My daughter has been getting a lot of headaches lately. And now every time she blows her nose, blood comes out. She has never had nosebleeds and she used to hardly ever get headaches. I don't think that this is too serious, but I would just like to know why this is happening. Kirstie, Arizona
A. By themselves, both nosebleeds and headaches are common in children, and are usually not caused by a serious problem.
Taken together though, these two symptoms might indicate a more serious problem, like high blood pressure causing both the headaches and the nosebleeds. In an article for the Health Scout News Reporter, William Elliot, MD, a professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Rush University Medical Center, stated that 'nosebleeds and headaches are often the only signs of high blood pressure.'
Another possibility, especially if her nosebleeds are severe, is that the nosebleeds led to her having anemia. A check of her blood counts is a simple way to test for anemia, which may be a good idea, since children with anemia can have headaches.
So you should likely see your pediatrician to have your child's blood pressure checked and possibly getting a complete blood count.
If her blood pressure is normal, then she may be simply having common nosebleeds and headaches, both of which your pediatrician can help, which makes setting up an appointment important.
See these resources for more information on treating and preventing nosebleeds and headaches:
Source:
William J. Elliot, M.D., Ph.D. - HealthScoutNews - High Blood Pressure Strikes Even the Young. Dec. 27, 2002.
