Food for nosebleeds, low iron Posted: 01-19-07 12:36pm
What should a person eat to recover from
extensive blood loss? I had a really bad
nosebleed last night where blood gushed
out of my nose for like 20 minutes, and
now i'm really weak, sweaty and cold. I
can barely walk down the stairs because my
legs are so jellyish. I've been drinking
lots of water and lying in my bed (unable
to fall asleep), and I wondered if there
were certain foods that could help speed
up recovery?
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DoctorAnswer
Doctor Answer
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Nutrition Answer A2185 Posted: 01-23-07 04:12am
Spontaneous nose bleeding (epistaxis) is
usually not a very serious condition and
stops on its own. In rare occasions, nose
bleeding can be very intense and a person
might need intervention (tamponade) and
assistance provided by an ENT-specialist.
Acute blood loss can’t be compensated
with any kind of food. The body can
compensate for such easy bleedings by
itself. If the bleeding is heavy with
great blood loss (more than 1 liter),
which is not in your case, a person needs
intra-venous infusions and blood
transfusion immediately to prevent
hemorrhagic shock, beside stopping the
bleeding.
Chronic (repetitive) bleeding does not
cause shock but causes iron-deficiency
(sideropenic) anemia. Besides treating the
bleeding, anemia is treated with iron
supplements. Some foods that contain iron
are recommended in those cases.
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