You can get a nosebleed from an array of annoyances, including a lingering head cold or an unlucky bounce in a schoolyard basketball game. But perhaps the most common cause is dryness. The moist passages inside the nose are jammed with blood vessels, which warm cold air before it reaches the lungs. These vessels also easily dry out in the parched, heated air of homes in winter. This drying can irritate the nasal linings and clog the sinuses, and the resulting raw, tender tissue, combined with frequent nose blowing, can lead to bleeding. To prevent nosebleeds, use a humidifier, especially at night in the bedroom. Also, blow your nose as gently as possible.

Other preventive measures, and treatments for nosebleeds, are listed below. But you should see a doctor if the blood flows heavily from either nostril or falls back into the mouth, if the bleeding does not stop within 15 to 20 minutes, or if you have blurred vision and/or severe pain in or around one eye. Also seek help if the nosebleed follows a blow to the head (the bleeding may be due to a fractured skull and require emergency treatment) or if you have frequent nosebleeds (they may be due to blood-thinning medications or may be linked to serious problems such as hypertension, an infection, or a tumor).

Herbal Remedies

Grape seed Standardized grape seed extracts contain 92 to 95 percent oligomeric procyanidins (or OPCs), which reportedly decrease the permeability and fragility of capillaries. To prevent nosebleeds, take 50 milligrams of the extract daily. If a nosebleed occurs, take 150 to 300 milligrams daily for therapeutic purposes.