Internal Bleeding: An Overview

Introduction:

An injury on the outside of the body is easily visible. Normally, a cut or tear in the skin bleeds. It is clear what is hurting, and it is simple to figure out what caused it. One of the most severe complications of trauma is internal bleeding. Internal bleeding happens when blood clots inside the body.

Detecting and diagnosing internal bleeding is more difficult. Bleeding occurs as a consequence of apparent injuries requiring immediate medical treatment. Internal bleeding can also happen after a less serious injury or take hours or days to appear. The bleeding may disappear on its own if the injury is not serious. However, surgical intervention may be necessary if the bleeding persists or becomes serious.

What Is Bleeding?

Bleeding refers to the loss of blood. It can be within the human body (internally) or outside of the human body (externally). Bleeding can occur -

• When blood spills from blood arteries or organs inside the body.
• When blood flows outside the body through a natural opening (such as the ear, nose, mouth, vagina, or rectum).
• When blood travels outside the body through a skin breach.

Serious injuries might result in a lot of blood loss. Individuals using blood thinners or having a bleeding disorder like hemophilia may experience a lot of bleeding. In minor injuries, it might bleed profusely at times. Blood loss can result in blood pooling beneath the skin, leaving it black and blue (bruised).

What Is Internal Bleeding?

Internal bleeding, also known as hemorrhaging, happens when a blood artery within the body is injured. The heart is responsible for pumping blood through blood arteries to give oxygen and nourishment to the organs in the body. When the integrity of the blood vessel wall is compromised, a clotting process is activated to heal the damage and reduce the volume of blood that escapes the wounded blood vessel. Internal bleeding varies depending on the organ system affected and the portion of the body implicated. Internal bleeding can cause a lot of agonies, but it usually goes away on its own. The location and volume of internal bleeding influence the course of the condition.

What Are the Possible Symptoms of Internal Bleeding?

Internal bleeding can cause the following signs and symptoms -

• Lightheadedness.
• Pain.
• Breathing problems.
• Tingling sensations in the hands and feet.
• Visional shifts.
• Vomiting or nausea.
• Sweating that comes on suddenly and heavily.
• Bruising.
• Alterations in mental health.
• Consciousness loss.

What Are the Causes of Internal Bleeding?

Internal bleeding has a wide range of causes. Some are produced by an external force, such as a bodily blow, while others are caused by a disease or structural weakness within the body. These can include the following -

• Injured Blood Vessel - A blood vessel trauma is an injury to an artery or vein caused by a blow or trauma.
• Deficiency in Clotting Factors - When the body is injured, it creates proteins to stop the bleeding. The bleeding does not cease when the body does not manufacture enough clotting factors.
• Few Medicines - Such as blood thinners, may cause substantial bleeding by preventing clotting. In addition, some over-the-counter drugs, such as Aspirin, may cause stomach lining damage.
• High Blood Pressure - Blood vessel walls are weakened by high blood pressure that has been there for a long time. Thus aneurysms can occur when the walls of the body are weak, and they can burst and bleed.
• Hereditary Bleeding Disorder - Hemophilia is a hereditary disorder that causes the blood to clot improperly. This disorder can cause a tiny injury to bleed profusely.
• Endometriosis - Endometriosis is a disorder in which endometrium-like tissue develops in places other than the uterus, such as the ovaries, abdomen, and colon. The uterus' lining will shed and produce bleeding in a different location, such as the pelvis.
• Gastrointestinal Tract (GI Tract) Problems - One of the various GI problems that might cause bleeding in the abdomen or stomach. Some instances are polyps in the colon, colitis, Crohn's disease, gastritis, esophagitis, and peptic ulcers.
• Irritating Substances - The lining of the stomach might be irritated by alcohol, smoking, and illegal substances.

What Are the Treatments for Internal Bleeding?

The healthcare professional will consider the severity of the cause, the affected organ or blood vessel, and the overall health of the patient while treating internal bleeding. Along with that, some treatment modalities that can be used to treat internal bleeding include -

• Vitamin K, fresh frozen plasma, blood, and platelets are all given intravenously.
• People who have internal bleeding are given electrolyte-rich intravenous fluids.
• Surgery to repair the blood artery and remove extra blood may be required in extreme situations.
• After the bleeding has ceased, preventative drugs are provided.
• To minimize the risk of additional damage and bleeding, physical treatment and lifestyle modifications such as stopping smoking or drinking alcohol may be suggested.
• Treatment will focus on mending any harm and stabilizing the body once the bleeding has stopped.

How Can Internal Bleeding Be Diagnosed?

Internal bleeding is often diagnosed by medical testing, a physical exam, and a detailed assessment of the medical history of the patient. In addition, a physician may use lab testing and imaging technologies to determine the origin and severity of internal bleeding. Such as -

• CT (Computed Tomography) Scan - This type of sophisticated X-ray can visualize bones, tissues, and blood arteries.
• Angiography - It is a type of imaging technique that may study individual blood arteries in great detail.
• Complete Blood Count (CBC) Or Hemogram - Performed to check for anemia and an abnormal platelet count.
• Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, and Anoscopy - These procedures are done to check for causes of bleeding in the gastrointestinal system.
• Ultrasound - It may be used to look for sources of bleeding, most often where there is an obstetric or gynecologic source of bleeding.

What Complications Can Internal Bleeding Cause?

Internal bleeding can cause a variety of complications, including -

• Shock.
• Seizures.
• Coma.
• Bruising on the outside (external bleeding).
• Damage to and failure of organs.
• Death as a result of excessive blood loss (exsanguination).

Conclusion:

In brief, internal bleeding happens inside the body. The severity of bleeding is determined by several factors, including blood flow rate, source, and origin. Blood loss might result in significant consequences. Trauma, burst aneurysms, and bleeding disorders are all major causes of internal bleeding. Shock, organ damage or failure, and death are all possible complications.

Identifying and addressing the causes and risk factors for internal bleeding is critical as it can be fatal and need rapid medical attention to avoid death or lasting organ damage. However, the prognosis is good if internal bleeding is detected, identified, and treated properly. Many people can recover completely. Additional treatments may be required to avoid a recurrent bleed, but there will be minimal long-term consequences.