Haemorrhage

Haemorrhage is a medical term that refers to the excessive bleeding or blood loss. It can occur internally, where blood leaks from blood vessels inside the body, or externally, through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vagina or through a break in the skin.

Causes

Haemorrhage can be caused by a number of factors, including injury, surgery, childbirth, or a disorder that affects the blood's ability to clot. Diseases such as hemophilia and dengue fever can also cause haemorrhage.

Types

There are several types of haemorrhage, including:

• Intracranial haemorrhage: Bleeding within the skull.
• Cerebral haemorrhage: A type of intracranial bleed that occurs within the brain tissue itself.
• Subarachnoid haemorrhage: Bleeding in the space surrounding the brain.
• Intracerebral haemorrhage: Bleeding in the brain caused by the rupture of a blood vessel within the brain.
• Hemoptysis: Coughing up blood.
• Hematemesis: Vomiting blood.
• Hematochezia: Passage of fresh blood through the anus, usually in or with stools.
• Melena: Passage of dark, tarry, bloody stools, often due to bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Treatment

Treatment for haemorrhage primarily aims to stop the bleeding, replace lost blood, and repair the source of the bleeding. This can involve surgery, transfusion of blood products, and medication to promote clotting.

See also

• Blood transfusion
• Coagulation
• Hemostasis

Haemorrhage Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? WikiMD's DocFinder can help find general and specialist physicians.	Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials.