Nicholas Wingate got his first nosebleed around the age of 2. Now 5, he continues to get that telltale blood around his nostrils. "He seems to get them when the seasons change," says his mom, Carrie Wingate, a mother of four from Katy, Texas. "They sort of come in spurts. He will get around three to four in a one-week period and then they are gone until the next season change."

Nosebleeds can occur at any age but are relatively uncommon in children before the age of 2, says Dr. Hau Sin Wong, a physician at the Children's Ears, Nose & Throat Surgeons of Orange County. "The peak ages for nosebleeds are between ages 3 and 8," she says.

The most common reason for nosebleeds is a cold or allergy, says Dr. Perry Earle, pediatrician at the Children's Clinic in Greenville, S.C. "The nose has a rich supply of blood vessels very near the surface of the inner lining of the nasal cavity," he says. "When you have a cold or allergy, these blood vessels become engorged, contributing to the burning, congested feeling we sense when we have a cold or allergy. These vessels often burst spontaneously in these situations, leading to the nosebleed."

Trauma can be another cause of nosebleeds. "Actually, trauma, from getting hit by a ball, is the second most common reason for nosebleeds," Dr. Earle says. "In a way associated with trauma, the child who aggressively picks their nose will incidentally cause trauma."

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