RECENTLY, I've been having a lot of nosebleeds. Should I be concerned?

Nosebleeds can be frightening, but they aren't usually a sign of anything serious and can often be treated at home. During a nosebleed, blood flows from one or both nostrils. It can be heavy or light and last from a few seconds to 10 minutes or more.

To stop a nosebleed, sit down and firmly pinch the soft part of your nose, just under the bony part of your nose, for at least 10-15 minutes.

Lean forward while doing this and breathe through your mouth while doing this– this will drain blood down your nose instead of down the back of your throat.

Don't pick or blow your nose after the bleed.

If the bleeding eventually stops, you won't usually need to seek medical advice.

However, if the bleeding is very heavy and lasting longer than 20 minutes, seek urgent medical attention.

If you have been told that you are at risk of bleeding for longer, for example, if you're on blood thinning medications or have a blood condition, then it is important you let your health care provider know quickly that you are having nosebleeds.

WHAT happens if I knock a tooth out?

It's important that if an adult tooth is knocked out you try to re-insert it and go straight to a dentist.

If you can find your tooth, hold it by the crown, lick it clean and put it back into the missing gap.

Don't try to re-insert a baby tooth but do take your child to see a dentist immediately.

Other dental traumas such as a broken or chipped tooth are not classed as dental emergencies.

If you can find the missing part of your tooth, store it in milk then see a dentist as soon as you can.

If your dentist is closed call 111 for advice.

WHAT is Pneumothorax?

Also known known as a collapsed lung, a pneumothorax is a condition where the lung has developed a leak and air is able to escape to the space between your chest wall and lung. Typically this results in pain and shortness of breath.

The most common symptoms associated with pneumothorax are: chest pain that has a sudden onset, and it worse when breathing, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, persistent cough and fatigue.

A pneumothorax is normally diagnosed with a chest X-ray. Occasionally, a computerised tomography (CT) scan may be needed to provide images with greater detail.

In milder cases, your doctor might simply monitor your condition with a series of chest X-rays until the excess air is completely absorbed and the pneumothorax has healed by itself. In moderate cases, a chest tube or needle may be used like a syringe to extract excess air from you chest, and in more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to close the air leak.