The term common symptoms of bleeding disorders refer to a collection of problems when the blood fails to clot correctly. Platelets, a kind of blood cell, adhere together and form a plug at the site of a broken blood artery in normal clotting. Clotting factors interact with platelets in the blood to produce a fibrin clot, which keeps the platelets in place and allows healing to proceed at the injury site while preventing blood from exiting the blood artery.
What is a Bleeding Disorder?
Bleeding disorders are a group of illnesses that affect the body’s ability to form a proper blood clot. Excessive bleeding might be caused by an accident, surgery, trauma, or menstruation. However, there are occasions when there is no known or identifiable source of the bleeding. Improper clotting can be caused by flaws in blood components such as platelets and/or clotting proteins, also known as clotting factors. The body produces thirteen clotting factors. Blood coagulation is disrupted if any of these is incorrect or insufficient, and a mild, moderate, or severe bleeding disorder may result.
What to know about different types of bleeding?
These three types of bleeding, commonly known as haemorrhaging, differ in location and how they occur and the severity with which they appear. For example, arterial bleeding happens in spurts, venous blood flows slowly, and capillary bleeding drips from the body.
Both the arteries and veins can bleed abundantly. When this occurs, someone must get medical attention as soon as possible. On the other hand, capillary bleeding is the most common symptom of bleeding disorders and is generally controllable by applying pressure.
1. Arterial bleeding
Arteriovenous bleeding is the most dangerous and urgent type of bleeding. A penetrating wound, bodily trauma, or organ or blood vessel injury can cause it. The blood flows from the arteries, distinguishing it from other types of bleeding. Because it includes oxygen, blood, for example, is a vivid crimson liquid. It can also appear as surges and pulses that coincide with heartbeats. This type of bleeding is difficult to control due to the effort produced by the beating heart. However, it will not clot or come to a halt as fast.
- Apply pressure to the wound, causing the bleeding with a latex-gloved hand and sterile gauze. It’s also vital to call an emergency hotline for medical help.
- If the bleeding has stopped, the wound should be wrapped and covered with sterile gauze covering to retain pressure on the lesion.
- When an artery in the arm or leg bleeds, raising the body part above the heart level may be helpful.
- If all else fails to stop the bleeding, apply a tourniquet to the bleeding spot as a last resort.
2. Capillary bleeding
When the skin is wounded, capillary haemorrhage occurs, and it is a significantly more common cause of hemorrhagic disease of the newborn than other types of bleeding. Instead of spurting out like arterial blood or flowing out like venous bleeding, it oozes from the injured body part.
Capillary bleeding is not only the least severe but also the easiest to treat since it arises from blood vessels on the skin rather than deep within the body.
- The wound should be cleaned with soap and water or a nontoxic cleaner.
- The wound may need to be irrigated under pressure to remove contaminants and prevent infections.
- The final step is to apply pressure with a latex-gloved hand and a sterile dressing. In most circumstances, pressure is sufficient to stop bleeding, and other procedures done by a doctor to cease arterial or venous bleeding are unnecessary.
3. Venous bleeding
Although venous bleeding is less severe than arterial bleeding, it can be lethal. As a result, immediate medical attention is required.
Because the blood is coming from a vein, it is dark red. This is because there is less oxygen in it. Furthermore, because veins are not under direct pressure, blood flows steadily but with less force than it does with arterial bleeding.
What are bleeding disorders?
If you want to know what are the bleeding disorders, then first understand that they are a group of illnesses that affect the body’s ability to form a proper blood clot. Excessive bleeding might be caused by an accident, surgery, trauma, or menstruation. However, there are occasions when there is no known or identifiable source of the bleeding.
Conclusion
Haemophilia and common causes of hemorrhagic disease of the newborn are blood clotting disorders caused by a lack of particular clotting factors. These illnesses are almost often inherited, although they can emerge later in life in rare cases if the body generates antibodies that reject the blood’s standard clotting components. Individuals and pregnant women with a family history of bleeding problems should talk to their doctors about screening and treatment options.