This brochure is a copy of an American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Public Service Brochure.
Physicians classify nosebleeds into two different types.
The nosebleed that comes from deep in the nose and flows down the back of the mouth and throat even if the patient is sitting up or standing. Obviously, if the patient is lying down, even the anterior nosebleeds seem to flow in both directions, especially if the patient is coughing or blowing his nose. Nevertheless, it is important to try to make the distinction since posterior nosebleeds are often more severe and almost always require the physician's care. Posterior nosebleeds are more likely to occur in older people, persons with high blood pressure, and in cases of injury to the nose or face. Nosebleeds in children are almost always of the anterior type.