Haemorrhage

Description: A technical term for bleeding, often referring to substantial blood loss or uncontrollable bleeding due to a ruptured blood vessel, either externally or internally.

Persons most commonly affected: All age group and both sexes.

Organ or part of body involved: Blood Vessels
Symptoms and indications: Several external haemorrhage is associated with one or more of the following symptoms: brapid pulse; dizziness or faintness; collapse; a decrease in blood pressure; an increase in pulse rate; and pale, cold, clammy, or sweaty skin.

Internal haemorrage may also show symptoms, even if the bleeding is slight. Black, tarry stools may signal bleeding in the intestinal tract from a peptic ulcer; blood in the vomitus indicates bleeding in the stomach; and blood in the urine means that bleeding is occuring in the kidneys or urinary tract.

Causes and risk factors: Haemorrhage occurs when blood vessels are torn or broken. Normally, blood will clot within seconds or minutes, stopping the blood flow. However, when serious injuries or other disorders (such as haemophilia, peptic ulcer, or cancer) are involved, the body's normal blood-clotting mechanism may be inadequate or may malfunction. If blood loss is not quickly stopped, death may result.