Nosebleeds are often dramatic and frightening, but usually not serious, and are dealt with easily. The two types of nosebleeds are classified by whether the bleeding is coming from the front of the nose (anterior), accounting for 90 percent of all nosebleeds, or the back of the nose (posterior). Anterior nosebleeds are easily controlled at home or by a doctor. Posterior nosebleeds tend to occur more often in elderly people and are more complicated, often requiring hospital admission and management by an ear, nose, and throat specialist. The majority of people will experience a nosebleed at some time in their life, but they are most common in children age two to ten and adults age fifty to eighty. Nosebleeds tend to occur in the morning hours in dry, cold climates and during the winter.

Most nosebleeds are due to some identifiable factor such as allergies, blunt trauma to the nose, trauma inside the nose from such things as nose picking or irritation from a cold or cocaine use, and dry nasal passages from cold, dry air. If you have an underlying condition such as an inability of the blood to clot; are taking blood-thinning medications or aspirin; have liver disease, abnormal blood vessels or cancers in the nose, you may also experience nosebleeds. High blood pressure can also contribute to a nosebleed, but won't likely be the only cause.

Most of the time, you will only have bleeding from one nostril, but with any heavy bleeding, the blood can overflow from one nostril into the area inside the nose where the two nostrils converge and spill into the other nostril, causing bleeding from both sides. Blood can also drip into the back of the throat and be swallowed, causing you to have blood in the mouth or to even vomit blood.

First Aid for Nosebleeds

If you experience a nosebleed, follow the steps below:

• Remain calm and sit up straight, leaning your head forward — don't tilt your head back because blood will run down your throat, causing you to gag and swallow the blood.

• Using your thumb and forefinger, pinch your nostrils together ten full minutes, and repeat if the bleeding doesn't stop after the first ten minutes.

• Don't swallow any blood; spit it out so that you don't vomit.

After the bleeding has stopped, try to prevent any further irritation such as sneezing or nose blowing for the next twenty-four hours.

For a nosebleed, lean forward and pinch your nostrils together for ten full minutes

Don't use ice packs, because they do not help. If you have dry air in your home, like most people do in the winter, add moisture to the air with a humidifier or vaporizer or nasal gel and saline nasal spray to help keep the nose from drying out. See your doctor:

• For any repeated episodes of nosebleeds

• If you have any other bleeding, such as in the urine or stool, along with nosebleeds

• If you are bruising easily

• If you are on any blood-thinning medications

• If you have any underlying disease that may affect your blood-clotting ability, such as liver or kidney disease or hemophilia

• If you are on or have recently had chemotherapy