Question: I didn't have a nosebleed all summer and fall, but have started to get them again this winter. How should I handle them? And how can I avoid them?

Answer: Nosebleeds are more common in the winter due to the cold, dry air.

Your nose consists of a hard bony portion and a soft cartilaginous portion. The area of the nose that usually bleeds lies within the soft portion, and compression will control the bleeding.

Simply squeeze your nose between your thumb and forefinger just below the hard portion of the nose. The key is to apply pressure for least five minutes.

You should be seated, but holding your head back isn't necessary, because it merely directs the blood flow backward rather than forward.

Try to avoid checking every minute or so to see if the bleeding has stopped. To help reduce the number of nosebleeds, you should try to keep your room or apartment a little cooler and use a vaporizer to humidify the air or even put a small dab of Vaseline in each nostril, against the septum in the middle, to keep the area moist. You should have a medical evaluation for recurrent nosebleeds lasting more than 10 to 15 minutes.

Question: How much does it cost to come to Ritenour?

Answer: The basic clinic visit fee on weekdays is $18 and on Saturday afternoons at the Urgent Care clinic it is $24. There are additional charges for some procedures, lab tests, x-rays, physical therapy and pharmacy. You will have to pay at the time of service by either having the charge billed to your student account or paying by check, cash, VISA or MasterCard.

Then you can submit the yellow "super bill" to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. How much is reimbursed depends on your insurance coverage.

If you haven't already found out if your insurance company will cover your care at University Health Services, you should find out right away, before you get sick and need medical attention.