How do I stop my out-of-the-blue nosebleeds?

Q I'm 59, and after a cold, I started having really bad nosebleeds, which can be difficult to stop. They started out of the blue and even though I'm now being careful to not pick at my nose or blow it hard, the bleeds keep happening. Is there anything I can do to stop them?

- Dr Rosemary Leonard

A The majority of nosebleeds are caused by trauma, such as picking your nose or blowing it too hard, and they are also more likely to happen if the lining of the nose is inflamed when you have a cold.

Unfortunately, once you've had a bleed, the scab where it has occurred can be easily dislodged before the area has fully healed, leading to a further bleed.

Occasionally, recurrent bleeds, especially in older people, can be a sign of something more serious, such as a problem with platelets in the blood, which are essential for blood clotting. Although having high blood pressure rarely causes a nosebleed, once one has started it can make it more difficult to stop.

Repeated heavy nosebleeds can also lead to anaemia, so please contact your GP, who can arrange appropriate tests, including a check of your blood pressure.

If no serious cause is found, then treatment with Naseptin cream, which contains an antibiotic and antiseptic, and is only available on prescription, can often be effective helping the area inside the nose heal.

Q I'm 65 and have had occasional attacks of genital herpes for years. They heal in about a week, but the attacks seem to be more frequent. mI've been reluctant to see my doctor about what I'm aware is a sexually transmitted disease, especially at my age, but is there anything I can do about what I'm well aware is a consequence of a misspent youth!