Hemorrhage

What Is Hemorrhage?

Haemorrhage or bleeding describes blood loss. This loss of blood can be inside the body, referred to as internal haemorrhage or outside the body, called external haemorrhage. Internal bleeding or haemorrhage occurs when blood oozes out of a damaged blood vessel or organ. External bleeding involves loss of blood through a break in the skin or any other natural opening in the skin like vagina, mouth, nose, rectum, etc.

Haemorrhage is commonly associated with a haemorrhagic stroke which is a condition associated with reduction or cut-off of blood supply to the brain due to damaged or weak blood vessels. Haemorrhagic stroke has a couple of types like subarachnoid haemorrhage and Intracerebral haemorrhage. It mainly occurs due to a couple of types of weakened blood vessels called: Arteriovenous and Aneurysms malformations.

Here are the complications might occur due to:

• Less supply of blood and oxygen leading to cell death.
• Leakage of blood causing compression of the surrounding brain tissue.

A haemorrhagic stroke happens when there is leaking of blood from the tissues or the veins. Blood that leaks out from its starting point causes an aggravation of the mind's tissues and the swelling of the cerebrum's structures. The blood originating from these sources gathers and structures a hematoma. Since the typical structure of the cerebrum depression does exclude a hematoma, the intracranial weight will increment. This is because of the weight the hematoma causes on the cerebrum tissues which can additionally cause genuine harm.

What Are The Symptoms Of Hemorrhage?

The common signs and symptoms of Haemorrhage include:

• Total or limited loss of consciousness
• Vomiting, nausea
• Seizures, dizziness
• A severe Headache
• Numb feeling in one side of the body including face, arms, leg
• Problem in deglutition and speech
• Confusion
• Difficulty in walking and loss of balance

What Are The Causes Of Hemorrhage?

Some of the most common symptoms for haemorrhage are:

• Mechanical trauma or injuries on the head
• Hypertension
• A cerebral aneurysm
• Blood vessel abnormalities
• Blood thinning or delayed blood clotting disorder
• Drug abuse including the excess use of anti-platelet drugs like aspirin, clopidogrel, etc
• Brain tumour
• Traumatic bleeding like bruises, incisions, puncture wounds from needles and knives, gunshot wounds, crushing injuries result in haemorrhage
• Menorrhagia

What Are The Things One Should Do To Manage Hemorrhage?

• There are certain points that one should keep in mind during hemorrhage:
• Apply pressure on the wound in the case of an external bleeding and do not stop to check the bleeding.
• Use clean gauze or clothing to dress external bleeding.
• In case of an internal bleeding, monitor the symptoms. Make the person to lie down, preferably on blanket or rug, with legs raised. Blanket or rug helps in preventing loss of body heat.
• Try to keep the person calm.

What Are The Things One Should Avoid To Manage Hemorrhage?

These are the few factors to be avoided in case of hemorrhage:

• Do not use bare hands to treat external wounds as it can cause infection.
• Avoid any medication at the time of hemorrhage including aspirin or warfarin.
• Don’t misread the symptoms of blurry vision and dizziness.

What Are The Best Foods For Hemorrhage?

Here are certain foods recommended for haemorrhage patients to prevent blood loss:

• Red Meat: For replenishing red blood cells in the body, red meat is a prudent food source due to the presence of iron in it. Moreover, red meat also contains vitamin B12 that is also important for building RBCs in the blood.
• Coconut Water: Blood loss during haemorrhage leads to depletion of energy, which can be replenished by drinking coconut water due to its electrolytic properties. Studies say that coconut water helps in improving plasma levels in the blood. 
• Milk: Lack of vitamin B12 in the body may lead to the improper generation of blood in the body after a haemorrhage. This can, however, be prevented by consuming milk that is a good source of vitamin B12 for making blood in the body.
• Beans: Beans being a good source of iron in the body are good for producing blood in the body as well. Moreover, these healthy green vegetables also comprise of vitamin B6 and folate for healthy cells and tissues.
• Orange Juice: Orange juice is another healthy food item that aids in the absorption of iron in the body because of the presence of vitamin C in it. For effective replenishment of blood loss due to haemorrhage, orange juice is important.
• Banana: This fruit is great for building up haemoglobin in the blood, thanks to the presence of vitamin B6 in it. Furthermore, the fruit is also a prudent source of vitamin C and iron, hence making it a significant food source for recovering blood loss. 

What Are The Worst Foods For Hemorrhage?

Foods that are to be completely avoided or restricted to combat hemorrhage are:

• Gluten rich foods: White bread, processed flour foods have high amounts of gluten which are said to have an ill effect on brain functioning.
• Tannin-rich foods: Tannin is a natural ingredient found in certain food items such as corn, sorghum, wine, grapes, coffee, green and black tea, etc. The ingredient is responsible for preventing the absorption of iron in the body leading to blood loss.
• Oxalic Acid foods: Foods such as chocolates, parsley, spinach, and peanuts may reduce the absorption of iron in the blood. So, it is advisable to avoid consuming such foods.
• Phytate-rich foods: Phytates prevent iron absorption in the body as they themselves bind with iron leading to its deficiency. Foods that contain phytic acid or phytates are nuts, whole-grain wheat, brown rice, and legumes.

What Are The Medicines For Hemorrhage?

What Are The Tips To Manage Hemorrhage?

• Discuss with the physician about the doses of aspirin, clopidogrel, or warfarin that are being administered for the management of cardiovascular diseases.
• Take care of any minor wounds in case of diabetic patients as it leads to further complications.
• Regular exercise helps in reducing obesity and high levels of bad cholesterol in the body.
• Practicing breathing exercises increase oxygen uptake in the blood.