Understanding is key to treating nosebleeds.

• Position: Your Life - Brief Article

With the onset of allergy season, warmer weather, and an increase in athletic activity, many people suffer from nosebleeds. Knowing how to stop one and when to seek medical assistance can mean the difference between a minor inconvenience and something more serious.

"Nosebleeds can be quite a challenge and frustration for both the patient and the treating physician. There is not just one fix-all," indicates J.R. Williams, assistant professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. "It is important to determine which type of nosebleed you are having so it can be properly treated."

In an anterior nosebleed, blood begins flowing from the front part of the nose and exits from just one nostril. Most often, this is a result of drying and crusting in the anterior portion of the nasal cavity, usually caused by a lack of humidity. Other causes include chronic nose-picking, sinus infection, and reaction to medications such as inhalants, aspirin, ibuprofen, or anticoagulants. A posterior nosebleed occurs when the blood comes from deep in the nose and flows down the back of the mouth and throat, even if the patient is sitting upright or standing. This type is usually caused by sports- or accident-related injury or occurs as a result of high blood pressure, and requires treatment from a physician.

"To stop a nosebleed, pinch the soft parts of the nose together, and slightly tilt the head back for five minutes," Williams suggests. "If bleeding has not stopped, gently...