What is a Hemorrhage? Hemorrhage is a medical term that is used to denote any form of intense bleeding both external or internal from the blood vessels. One of the most common factors leading to a hemorrhage is trauma or injuries to the blood vessels. Hemorrhage can also be a result of weak spots found in the artery walls right from the birth of a person. With time the blood vessel walls near the site of the weak walls start to become thinner and bulge out like water balloons. This happens as the blood continually passes through them leading to leakages and ruptures. Various forms of bleeding disorders can also result in a hemorrhage, hemophilia being one of them. Hemophilia is à condition or a disorder that prevents the blood from clotting. Hypertension, or high blood pressure is also often associated with hemorrhage particularly brain hemorrhage that causes a stroke. In a number of cases blood vessels wear out with age causes a rupture or a hemorrhage. Blood loss can happen in any part of the body. Internal bleeding is caused as blood oozes out of a damaged blood vessel or an organ. External bleeding on the other hand occurs through an external injury on the surface of the skin. It could also happen as the blood exits from an opening in the body such as the mouth, vagina, nose etc. What are the Common Factors That Cause Bleeding? A number of accidents or medical conditions can suddenly cause bleeding. Bleeding is not a medical condition but a symptom of another issue in the body. Some of the common causes of bleeding or hemorrhage include: 1. Traumatic bleeding Any injury both external as well as internal could lead to traumatic bleeding. Some of the common kinds of traumatic bleeding include: • Cuts or abrasions that do not go below the skin • Deep bruises or hematoma • Incisions • Wounds caused due to a puncture procedure from devices like needles or knives • Severe injuries 2. Medical conditions There are certain medical conditions due to which bleeding can occur. Bleeding due to medical conditions is not as common as traumatic bleeding There are also some medical conditions that can cause bleeding. Bleeding due to a medical condition is less common than traumatic bleeding. Conditions that can cause bleeding include: • hemophilia
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leukemia Conditions of the liver menorrhagia, heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding thrombocytopenia, low blood platelet count
3. Medicines Certain medications could cause bleeding in some people. In case it is a common occurrence, your doctor will ideally let you know beforehand as they prescribe the medicine. They should also let you know of the emergency steps that you would need to take once the bleeding occurs. Medications that may be responsible for bleeding include: • Medicines recommended for blood-thinning, generally prescribed after a bypass surgery • Long term usage of certain antibiotics • Medicines that are a part of radiation therapy • Aspirin 4. Emergency issues In case if your bleeding is intense and severe, you would need to call an ambulance immediately to rush you to an emergency room especially if the suspected bleeding seems to be internal. An internal bleeding could become life threatening in no time and hence requires immediate medical attention. Persons suffering from bleeding problems or who take blood thinners should seek expert advice to stop the bleeding. How Can You Treat Bleeding Immediately? Bleeding can become serious in no time. A person could die in five minutes due to excessive bleeding. Knowing how to control bleeding could prove to be helpful in saving a life until emergency medical help arrives. First aid to control traumatic bleeding: External traumatic bleeding can be treated. Emergency help should be sought in case the patient is having any form of emergency issue that may require immediate medical attention. The patient ends to keep calm so as to maintain their heart rate and blood pressure levels. High heart rate or blood pressure can result in increased bleeding. To immediately control the bleeding ask the person to lie down flat as soon as possible to eliminate the risk of falling down or fainting. The bleeding area should be elevated and raised. Any of the following should be used to put a slight pressure on the wound and control the bleeding: • A clean prince of cloth that is rolled
• Bandage • Hands Keep up the pressure so that the bleeding stops or slows down. The pressure should not be very high or too low. Once the bleeding stops, use an adhesive tape or cloth piece to wrap the wound. Placing a cold pack on the wood helps in stopping the bleeding. It is advisable to not release the pressure to try and look at the wound to check if the bleeding has stopped or not as this can cause the bleeding to start again. In case the blood seeps in from the cloth, do not remove the cloth from the wound. Instead apply more cloth to the wound and keep up the pressure. What Are The Risks of Untreated Bleeding? Risks of untreated bleeding can be dangerous and it is very important for a doctor to check the patient who is experiencing uncontrolled bleeding. Bleeding due to Injury: When the bleeding caused by injury is left untreated it could delay the further healing of the injury which could increase further risks of pain and infections. Bleeding due to a medical injury: If the underlying medical condition that causes the bleeding is left untreated and undiagnosed, then it can cause a recurrence of the bleeding. Bleeding which is uncontrolled or left untreated can be fatal. Though there are not many cases of hemorrhage causing death, it is not a condition that cannot happen. Hemorrhage can be a critical condition when left untreated and hence must be taken seriously. To prevent bleeding from causing death, timely medical intervention is important.