HAMBURG -- Nose bleeding is generally easy to stop -- usually it is caused by nothing more serious than a burst blood vessel.

Sufferers should sit down and tilt the head slightly forward so the blood does not run back into the throat, says the DAK health insurance company.

A cloth dampened in cold water should be placed on the back of the neck and the nostrils should be pressed together for a few minutes.

Under no circumstances should cotton wool or a handkerchief be pushed up the nose, DAK says. Not only could this tear open the burst capillary again, but residual pieces of cotton wool could remain in the nose and cause subsequent infection.

If bleeding does not stop within 15 minutes, medical help should be obtained, DPA quoted DAK as saying.