- Most common symptoms
- Possible causes
- 1. Injuries
- 2. Fracture
- 3. Pregnancy
- 4. Surgery
- 5. Spontaneous bleeding
- 6. Medicines
- 7. Alcohol abuse
- 8. Insufficient clotting factors
- 9. Chronic high blood pressure
- 10. Gastrointestinal diseases
- How the diagnosis is made
- What is the treatment
Internal hemorrhages are bleeds that occur inside the body and that may not be noticed, and are therefore more difficult to diagnose. These hemorrhages can be caused by injuries or fractures, but they can also occur due to diseases such as hemophilia, gastritis or Crohn's disease, for example.
Treatment is usually performed through surgery, however, in some cases internal bleeding may stop on its own.
Most common symptoms
The symptoms that can occur during internal bleeding depend on where it occurs and the severity of the injury. When the blood contacts the tissues and internal organs it can cause pain and inflammation, making it easier to detect the affected area.
The most frequent symptoms that can be associated with internal bleeding in several places are dizziness, weakness usually on one side of the body, fainting, low blood pressure, vision problems, severe headache, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing and breathing, chest pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea and loss of balance and consciousness.
Possible causes
There are several causes that can cause internal bleeding:
1. Injuries
Injuries caused by car accidents, aggression or falls, for example, can damage the head, some organs, blood vessels or bones and cause internal bleeding.
2. Fracture
Bleeding can occur due to fractures in the bones, because they contain bone marrow, which is where blood is produced. The fracture of a large bone, such as the femur, can lead to the loss of almost half a liter of blood.
3. Pregnancy
Although not normal, bleeding may occur during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, which may be a sign of spontaneous abortion or ectopic pregnancy. Find out what symptoms may indicate ectopic pregnancy.
If bleeding occurs after 20 weeks of gestation, it may be a sign of placenta previa, which runs when the placenta partially or totally covers the internal opening of the cervix, which can cause symptoms such as heavy vaginal bleeding. Here's what to do if this happens.
4. Surgery
During surgery it may be necessary to make cuts in certain parts of the body that cause bleeding, which is controlled by the surgeon before the end of the procedure. However, internal bleeding can occur hours or even days after surgery, and it may be necessary to return to the hospital to stop the bleeding.
5. Spontaneous bleeding
Internal bleeding can also occur spontaneously, especially in people who take anticoagulant medications or who have a blood clotting disorder.
6. Medicines
Some medications, such as anticoagulants, can cause internal bleeding more easily after an injury, as they prevent clotting.
In addition, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, due to their side effects. This is because these drugs inhibit an enzyme in the stomach, responsible for the production of prostaglandins that act to protect it.
7. Alcohol abuse
Excessive and long-term alcohol can cause bleeding due to altered clotting mechanisms and damage to the stomach. In addition, it can also cause liver cirrhosis which can lead to bleeding in the esophagus. See more symptoms caused by liver cirrhosis.
8. Insufficient clotting factors
A healthy body produces important clotting factors to stop bleeding when an injury occurs. However, in some diseases such as hemophilia, these clotting factors may be reduced or even absent, with a greater risk of bleeding. Learn more about this disease.
9. Chronic high blood pressure
In people whose blood pressure is generally high, weakening of the walls of some vessels can occur, and aneurysms can form that can rupture and bleed.
10. Gastrointestinal diseases
Gastrointestinal disorders such as polyps in the intestine, stomach ulcers, colitis, Crohn's disease, gastroenteritis or esophagitis can also cause bleeding in the stomach or abdomen. Hemorrhages in the gastrointestinal tract are usually detected in vomiting or stools due to the presence of blood.
How the diagnosis is made
The diagnosis of an internal hemorrhage can be made in several ways, since it depends on many factors. It is usually done by means of a physical evaluation and blood tests in order to understand the severity of the hemorrhage and in cases where the hemorrhage is caused by an accident or a serious injury, imaging exams can be performed in the place where hemorrhage is suspected.
Thus, an X-ray can be performed that can analyze the bones and detect fractures, or a computed tomography or magnetic resonance, where it is possible to analyze not only the bones, but also the tissues and blood vessels.
Other options include ultrasound, stool blood test, endoscopy, colonoscopy or angiography, which can also be used to detect a damaged artery.
What is the treatment
The treatment of internal bleeding depends on the cause, the extent of the bleeding, the organ, tissue or vessel that is affected and the person's state of health.
Some internal bleeding may stop on its own without treatment. However, in most cases it is necessary to perform surgery urgently, as the great loss of blood threatens the person's life.
