anaemificationology: Anaemia due to Blood Loss

If you are wondering why or how blood loss causes anaemia, you are in luck as that is what we will be discussing today! Anaemia caused by excessive bleeding is caused when the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow is much slower than the rate at which red blood cells are lost during bleeding. In fact, this is one of the most common cause that leads to this disorder in many anaemic patients.

When the body experiences a drop in blood volume, its defense mechanism in response to this is to absorb water into the blood vessels so that the volume within it will be kept constant. However when this happens, it causes the dilution of blood, reducing the percentage of blood cells in the total blood volume (also known as hematocrit). With lesser red blood cells present in the body, it directly leads to the body receiving lesser oxygen, often causes symptoms such as tiredness, lethargy and even dizziness.

The loss of blood in anaemic patients can occur in 2 ways:

Rapid loss of blood

Chronic blood loss

This method of blood loss is usually brought about due to an injury, surgery, childbirth or even a rapture of one of the blood vessels. The sudden loss of large volumes of blood causes one’s blood pressure to drastically decrease due to the decrease in fluid volume within the blood vessel. Patients would usually feel very dizzy in this case and would usually be advised by doctors to go for a transfusion of red blood cells would be done to ensure that blood pressure is about to maintain at healthy levels.

Chronic blood loss can be caused due to a variation of reasons which may be seen in large and small amounts depending on the disorder. Nosebleed or hemorrhoids are examples of chronic disorder in the body that evidently produces large amount of blood over a period of time. The occult way of blood loss which is also known as gradual blood loss can be seen thru the loss of blood through stools. Although there are times where blood stains cannot be seen on stools but collectively over long periods of time a significant about of blood may be loss.

Other disorders that has this effect include cancer or ulcers along the alimentary canal, tumours in the kidney or bladder and even heavy menstrual bleeding for women. As this bleeding is chronic and not excessive, many who experience it will feel fatigued and weak from time to time. In such cases, doctors would encourage patients to have iron rich diet as well as prescribe iron supplements so as to ensure that the iron level in the blood stream would not drop below the healthy range.

We hope that what we have shared has enlightened you regarding anaemia due to blood loss. If you have any queries or questions about this, do drop us a question in the commentary box below. Stay tune for more updates from us as we continue to explore on the other causes of anaemia!

Before we go, here are two comics we have prepared for you in case you were in need of some iron (jokes)! ;)