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Bloody Noses
July 8, 2010 Updated Jul 8, 2010 at 4:03 PM EDT


One of the scarier moments for parents is seeing their sick child cough up blood. The result is a very anxious mom or dad and a fast trip to the emergency room, even though the real problem may turn out to be simple and not all that threatening. Here's an example: seven-year-old Tiana Lewis has a cold and that triggered an asthma attack. But there is another problem: she's had two nose bleeds and she's coughing up blood. Her Father worries where the blood is coming from. Dr. Deborah Young, with the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, says that "The parents were very concerned because now she was coughing up blood and they were not able to put the connection together that it was actually swallowed blood from her nose bleed." The cough was caused by a cold and the blood was caused by her persistent cough. Tiana will be sent home with medication for her asthma and a permission slip to stay out of school until she's better. The doctor says if your child is coughing up blood, that you should call your doctor. Dr. Young adds that "If they've had a nose bleed, not to absolutely panic, because the blood 99% of the time is from the nose bleed and not from a more serious reason."

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