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Hemorrhage is the loss of blood that occurs after an injury, stroke, or illness due to the rupture of vessels in the bloodstream. The hemorrhage can be external, when the bleeding is visualized outside the body, or internal, when it happens inside some cavity of the organism, as in the abdomen, skull or lung, for example.
Since external bleeding can cause a large loss of blood in a short time, it is important to go to the emergency room as soon as possible, especially if it is a very large wound or if you do not stop bleeding after 5 minutes.
In the case of internal bleeding, bleeding may be more difficult to identify, but it should still be evaluated by a doctor. Therefore, if bleeding is suspected, you should always go to the hospital.
How hemorrhage happens
Hemorrhage happens due to an injury to different blood circulation vessels, which can be classified as:
1. Capillary
It is the most common bleeding, which happens on a daily basis, usually due to small cuts or abrasions, in which only the small vessels that reach the surface of the body, called capillaries, are affected.
- What to do: as this type of hemorrhage is light and of small amount, the bleeding usually stops only with the application of some pressure in the place for 5 minutes. After stopping, you can wash the area carefully, using soap and water and then cover with a clean, dry dressing.
2. Venous
It is the hemorrhage that happens due to a large or deeper cut, with bleeding in a continuous and slow flow, sometimes of great volume, through the wound.
- What to do: this type of bleeding is only serious when a large caliber vein is reached, and for this reason it usually stops the compression of the site with a clean cloth. The emergency room should be sought because, generally, it is necessary to perform a suture of the wound so that there is no risk of infection or new bleeding.
3. Arterial
It is the type of hemorrhage in which the arteries are affected, that is, the vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body and, therefore, have bright red blood, with great flow and intensity. Arterial bleeding is the most serious type, and can even cause blood jets to places far from the body and risk of death.
- What to do: as it is a severe bleeding, it must be stopped as soon as possible, with strong compression of the site with clean cloths or with the holding of a tourniquet, as it is a hemorrhage that is more difficult to control. You should quickly go to the emergency room or call 192. If the bleeding is from an arm or leg, you can raise the limb to facilitate restraint.
The tourniquet should not be impeding circulation for a long time, as if it is absent for a long period, it can cause death of the tissues of that member, which reinforces the importance of reaching the emergency room quickly.
There is also hemorrhage of the mixed type, which is when more than one type of vessel is reached, usually due to an accident or a strong blow, and it can be more difficult to identify.
See more about how to do first aid for bleeding and other common home accidents.
Signs and symptoms of bleeding
The symptoms caused by bleeding depend not only on the origin, but also on its location, and can be classified into:
External bleeding
When the bleeding is external, its presence can easily be noticed by the externalization of blood. Its quantity and intensity depends on the type of vessel affected, and whether it is a region of the body with many vessels. For example, cuts on the scalp cause more bleeding, even though they are small, as it is a very vascularized region.
Internal bleeding
When it is internal, it can be more difficult to identify, but the signs that indicate the presence of a hemorrhage of this type are:
- Paleness and tiredness;
- Fast and weak pulse;
- Rapid breathing;
- Very thirst;
- Pressure drop;
- Nausea or vomiting with blood;
- Mental confusion or fainting;
- A lot of pain in the abdomen, which gets hard.
If an internal hemorrhage is suspected, the emergency room should be sought as soon as possible, so that the necessary procedures or surgeries are carried out to contain it.
One of the most frequent forms of internal bleeding is cerebral, which leads to the appearance of a hemorrhagic stroke. Learn how to identify the first signs of stroke.
Other types of bleeding
There are also some examples of internal bleeding that are externalized, and the most common include:
- In the stool, due to an injury to the intestine or hemorrhoids, for example, which is lower digestive bleeding;
- In cough, also known as hemoptysis, which happens due to respiratory infections, lung damage or cancer, for example;
- In the womb, due to menstrual changes or fibroids, for example;
- In the urine, caused by infections or urinary stones;
- In the nose, or epistaxis, due to sneezing or irritation of the lining of the nose, for example. Know what to do to stop nose bleeding.
In the presence of these types of bleeding, the emergency room should also be sought, so that the doctor orders tests that indicate the cause of the bleeding.