Nosebleeds are fairly common, especially in children. They usually happen as a result of a minor injury, nose picking, or blowing the nose. Very occasionally, nosebleeds can be a sign of underlying illness or injury. Very rarely, a nosebleed can be life-threatening, especially in older people.
When to Seek Medical Advice for a Nosebleed
Frequent nosebleeds (more than once a week); this can be a symptom of high blood pressure
Persistent nosebleeds in a person who is on blood-thinning medication such as warfarin
Thin watery blood from the nose following a blow to the head, which can indicate a possible skull fracture
Frequent nosebleeds accompanied by bleeding gums as well as bruises that develop for no apparent reason
How to Stop a Nosebleed
1. Sit the patient down. Tell her to lean forward (not backward) so that the blood can drain. Wear nonlatex disposable gloves if you have them to protect yourself and the patient.
2. Pinch the nose. Tell the patient to breathe through her mouth and pinch the soft part of her nose to help reduce blood flow. She can lean over a sink or give her a bowl so that she can spit out any blood; swallowing it can make her sick. Advise her not to sniff, swallow, or cough, as it can disturb the clots that are forming.
3. Check the nose. After 10 minutes release the pressure and check the nose. If it is still bleeding, pinch the nose again for another 10 minutes.
4. Offer a cold compress. Give the patient an ice or cold pack to hold against the bridge of her nose to help reduce blood flow.
5. Check the nose again. Once the bleeding has stopped, let the patient clean around her nose with a damp cloth. Tell her not to blow her nose and avoid strenuous activity for up to 12 hours.
1. “Happy Birthday to You” was originally composed in 1893 as “Good Morning to All” by Patty Smith Hill, a kindergarten teacher and principal in Louisville, Kentucky, and her oldest sister, Mildred Jane Hill, a pianist and composer. Its lyrics went like this:
Good morning to you,
Good morning to you,
Good morning, dear children,
Good morning to all.
2. The song was part of a larger project of the sisters to create simple music that catered to children’s limited abilities. They workshopped songs on Patty’s class so that “even the youngest children could learn with perfect ease,” with Patty writing the words and Mildred setting them to melodies. They published GMTA in their 1893 book, Song Stories for the Kindergarten.
3. It’s unclear where the birthday lyrics originated, but they appeared with the GMTA tune (unbeknownst to the Hill sisters) first in a piano manufacturer’s 1912 songbook, then in the Hall & McCreary Company’s The Golden Book of Favorite Songs in 1915 and in Robert H. Coleman’s Harvest Hymns in 1924, eight years after Mildred’s death. After HBTY cropped up in the 1931 Broadway musical The Band Wagon and, two years later, the musical As Thousands Cheer, Patty and Mildred’s sister Jessica took legal action. In 1934 and 1935, with the Hill family’s blessing, the Clayton F. Summy Co. published and copyrighted all six versions of HBTY, crediting Mildred and Patty as the authors.
4. According to some scholars, the tune may be derivative of other 19th-century works. Scholars have drawn comparisons between GMTA and piano company founder Horace Waters’ “Happy Greetings to All” (1858), as well as “Good Night to All” (1858), “A Happy New Year to All” (1875), and others.
5. A seemingly eternal legal battle rages on over the Hill sisters’ ownership of HBTY and whether or not it should be in the public domain. A 2013 class-action lawsuit initiated by a New York filmmaker challenges the the song’s copyright and demands that the current copyright owner return all previous royalties it has collected for HBTY. As of May 2015, U.S. District Judge George King was still hearing arguments for Good Morning to You Productions Corp. vs. Warner/Chappell Music.
6. Despite its dubious copyright status, you can’t sing HBTY in a movie without paying a royalty. The Clayton Summy Co. eventually became Birchtree Ltd., which Warner/Chappell Music (Warner Music Group’s music publishing division) acquired in 1988 for $25 million. Today, the company pulls in about $2 million in licensing fees every year just from that song. Movies and television shows typically avoid using the song, but have sprung for it in special cases: While directing Hoop Dreams (1994), documentarian Steve James shelled out $5,000 to include a poignant 18th birthday party scene.
7. That clunky, off-brand birthday song at your favorite chain restaurant exists to avoid copyright infringement. (The variations at TGI Friday’s and Chili’s Bar & Grill are particularly spirited.) Looking for a royalty-free option? Try “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow”—it’s in the public domain.
8. HBTY was used in the first-ever singing telegram when George P. Oslin, the Western Union executive who pioneered the festive greeting, sent one (sung by operator Lucille Lipps) to cherished entertainer Rudy Vallée on his birthday in July 1933. Western Union discontinued its singing telegrams in 2006, but relaunched them in 2011 as an e-mail service through which you could have musicians like Snoop Dogg and Timbaland serenade your loved ones.
9. Singing HBTY may actually make birthday cake taste better. According to a study by researchers from Harvard University and the University of Minnesota, indulging in a ritual before eating heightens our enjoyment of the food and helps us savor it.
10. HBTY is arguably the most frequently-sung English song in the world, giving “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” and “Auld Lang Syne” a run for their money.
11. Igor Stravinsky’s “Greeting Prelude,” a 45-second orchestral piece that he composed for conductor Pierre Monteux’s 80th birthday in 1955, might sound a bit familiar: Though it deconstructs the song’s notes and leapfrogs across octaves, the spirit and melody of HBTY ring through loud and clear. Aaron Copland’s “Happy Anniversary” is also based on the tune, and was played when President Nixon presented the Medal of Freedom to Philadelphia Orchestra conductor Eugene Ormandy.
12. The anniversary of GMTA’s composition is widely celebrated as June 27, Mildred Hill’s birthday. Mildred, who would be 156 this year, shares her special day with Helen Keller, Ross Perot, and Vera Wang.
13. Mildred and Patty Smith were honored posthumously at the 1996 Songwriters Hall of Fame award and induction ceremony with the Towering Song Award, which celebrates songs with lasting cultural impact.
What are the most (and least) honest cities in the world? Reader’s Digest conducted a global, social experiment to find out.
Our reporters “lost” 192 wallets in cities around the world.
In each, we put a name with a cellphone number, a family photo, coupons, and business cards, plus the equivalent of $50. We “dropped” 12 wallets in each of the 16 cities we selected, leaving them in parks, near shopping malls, and on sidewalks. Then we watched to see what would happen.
When it’s ant season (often in the spring), these sneaky critters can march into your home and never leave. But with these simple tricks that use common household items like tape, vinegar, lemons, chalk, water, and more, you can protect your kitchen, doors, windows, patio and anywhere else ants like to crawl. You might need to try various solutions to get rid of ants throughout the house, but hopefully one of these tricks will work for you.
Adhesive Tape
Is an army of ants marching toward the cookie jar on your countertop or some sweet prize in your pantry? Create a “moat” around the object by surrounding it with adhesive tape placed sticky side up.
Lemons
You don’t need insecticides or ant traps to ant-proof your kitchen. Just give it the lemon treatment. First squirt some lemon juice on door thresholds and windowsills. Then squeeze lemon juice into any holes or cracks where the ants are getting in. Finally, scatter small slices of lemon peel around the outdoor entrance. The ants will get the message that they aren’t welcome. Lemons are also effective against roaches and fleas: Simply mix the juice of 4 lemons (along with the rinds) with 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water and wash your floors with it; then watch the fleas and roaches flee. They hate the smell.
1. The earliest decorations on trees associated with Christmas are detailed in the Medieval plays that tell the story of Adam and Eve. The trees in the Garden of Eden were, according to these legends, adorned with apples and cookies.
2. Reindeer are resourceful animals. They not only pull sleighs, but are also raised for their milk. In the town of Wales in Alaska, the mail used to be delivered by reindeer-drawn sleigh. The story of Rudolph is a modern invention that has become a classic. It is based partly on the tale of the Ugly Duckling.
3. Candles are an important part of Christmas for many and they play a crucial part in Christmas Eve celebrations in Gouda, Holland. Gouda is the center of the Dutch candle-making industry. On Christmas Eve all of the electrical lights are turned off while the mayor reads the story of the Nativity to an audience by candlelight in the town square.
4. In many European countries, gifts are traditionally given to children by St. Nicholas, who arrives on December 6th with his mischievous servant Black Peter. If the children are good, St. Nicholas gives them nuts, sweets, or small presents. However, if the children are bad, they will be threatened with sticks by Black Peter.
5. Ivy has been a popular plant to use as a Christmas decoration in houses for centuries. The custom of decorating homes with ivy and other evergreens dates back to pre-Christian times when ivy was believed to be linked with the power of eternity. Ivy represented life continuing through the cold months of winter.
6. The use of mistletoe dates back to pagan times when Druids coveted it for its magical healing powers. The tradition of a kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas, however, is a relatively recent one. This became popular with the servant class in 19th century England, and was slowly adopted by the middle classes. This custom has now spread to many other countries.
7. Gifts have been wrapped since the invention of paper circa 105 A.D. in China. Decorative gift wrap didn’t take off until Christmas 1917, when the Hall Brothers’ store in Nebraska sold out of tissue for customers to wrap holiday packages. As a substitute, they sold decorative French envelope lining.
8. Wrapping Christmas presents is quite a recent tradition. In the 19th century, unwrapped gifts were put under a Christmas tree, or hung on the branches. Sometimes, people would even hide a gift to prolong the excitement of finding out what it was.
9. Baboushka is a Russian gift-bringer, an old woman who, according to custom, would not go with the Wise Men to visit the baby Jesus. She later realized she should have traveled with them, and so she still searches for the baby. On the eve of Epiphany (January 5th) she visits sleeping children to leave them gifts.
10. In parts of Italy, the Christmas meal includes seven different fish dishes, to commemorate the Seven Sacraments. The fish is accompanied by pasta, salads, fruits, and breads, as well as Italian wine. Desserts usually include salads, the panettone fruit cake, spicy cookies, nougat, and nuts.
11. The Germans call gingerbread houses “Hexenhaüsle” or “witches’ houses” after the witch’s house that featured in Grimm’s fairytale “Hansel and Gretel.”
12. Charms were often dropped into the plum pudding pudding mix before it was cooked. Tradition states that a ring, a button, a thimble, and a coin should be added. The lucky (or unlucky), person to find one of these objects can expect marriage, spinsterhood, bachelorhood, or wealth respectively, during the following year.
13. A yule log is a popular dessert in many countries. It has its origins in the belief that when a log was burned in an open fire at Christmas, the ashes had miraculous powers. The first mention of this custom can be traced back to Germany in 1184.
