by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
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| Interestingly enough, iron deficiency is a common cause of excessive menstrual blood loss. Other common causes of blood loss include bleeding from peptic ulcers, hemorrhoids, and donating blood.
The negative effects of iron deficiency are due largely to the impaired delivery of oxygen to the tissues and the impaired activity of iron-containing enzymes in various tissues. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, excessive menstrual blood loss, learning disabilities, impaired immune function, and decreased energy levels and physical performance. |
Frederic Vagnini, M.D. and Barry Fox, Ph.D.
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 In menstruating women, the cause of blood loss is usually obvious. In women who are not menstruating and in men, the cause may be subtle blood loss from a bleeding ulcer or another problem in the gastrointestinal tract.
Once the source of blood loss (if any) has been discovered and corrected, the next step is to replace the missing iron. Ferric gluconate is one of several supplements that can bring your iron stores back to normal. |
Marshall Editions
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 CUTS
DIAGNOSIS
Cuts can either be minor injuries, involving minimal bleeding, or more severe, incurring significant blood loss. Either way, it is important to control the bleeding and prevent infection. Many people accidentally cut themselves on household items, or while operating machinery. Children are also prone to cuts when playing or participating in sports. Lacerations are caused by blunt objects that tear or crush the skin, particularly around bony areas of the body such as fingers or knees. |
Dr. Steve Blake
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 Populations with Increased Risk of Iron Deficiency
Infants under one year of age drinking cow's milk Children aged six months to four years Adolescent girls
Pregnant women in the last trimester
Those with blood loss including blood donors
Athletes
Loss of large amounts of blood can result in iron deficiency anemia. About one half-quart of blood (500 ml) contains about 242 mg of iron. Blood bank donations of 500 ml should be carefully considered in populations considered at risk for iron deficiency anemia. |
Bill Sardi
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 Proceedings Annual Meet American Society Clinical Oncology 11 :A75, 1992]
Widely overlooked is that fact that the risk for breast cancer dramatically increases as females cease menstruation and thus lose their ability to control iron build up via blood loss. About 80 % of the iron in the body is found in red blood cells. The increased stores of iron in postmenopausal females are linked to an increased mortality from cancer. [International J Epidemiology. |
| COX-2 inhibitors also cause blood loss. About 80% of iron in the body resides in the blood circulation. It is iron that is the primary growth factor for colon and rectal tumors.
Of note, aspirin also depletes the body of folic acid and vitamin C, two vitamins known to protect against colon/rectal cancer.
There may be safer COX-2 inhibitors that do not have serious side effects. For example, pomegranate juice has been shown to suppress COX-2 inflammatory enzymes by 79%. |
| Int J Epidemiology 24:665-70, 1995] The parallel rise in heart disease in postmenopausal females can also be attributed to an increase in iron stores due to cessation of menstrual blood loss. [Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis 14:857-61, 1994] Menstruating females exhibit half the stores of iron compared to middle-aged men and have half the rates of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. |
| Lancet Jun 13; 1: 1293-4; 1981; Iron Time Bomb, B Sardi, 2001]
It should not be surprising that precisely when women lose their ability to control iron, when monthly blood loss with accompanying iron depletion ceases, is exactly when the risk of breast cancer rises dramatically. For example, the liver stores iron and iron stores in the liver are higher among women in whom menstruation has stopped before the age of 50. |
| International J Epidemiology 24: 665-70, 1995
RISKS FOR BREAST CANCER
REGULATION OF IRON
Menopause; advanced age
Loss of menstruation and blood loss of iron
Alcohol
Increases dietary absorption of iron
Plant food diets
Iron more difficult to absorb from plants
Red meat consumption
Contains highly absorbable form of iron
Estrogen administration (estrogen pills, birth control pills) increases iron accumulation. |
Dr. Sharon Moalem
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 It's unclear today whether Washington actually died from the infection or from shock caused by blood loss. Doctors in the nineteenth century routinely bled patients until they fainted; they took that as a sign they'd removed just the right amount of blood.
After millennia of practice, bloodletting fell into extreme disfavor at the beginning of the twentieth century. The medical community—even the general public—considered bleeding to be the epitome of everything that was barbaric about prescientific medicine. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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 MCH may be low due to blood loss or anemia.
Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC): This is an estimate of the level of hemoglobin (the iron-binding protein that carries oxygen) in a given number of red blood cells.
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV): This is the average amount of space occupied by each red blood cell. Causes of a high MCV include liver disease, alcohol abuse, hypothyroidism, reticulocytosis, marrow aplasia, vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency, and myelofibrosis. Causes of a low MCV include lead poisoning, chronic kidney failure, hemoglobinopathy, and certain anemias. |
| A low hematocrit may indicate anemia, blood loss, bone marrow failure, destruction of red blood cells, or malnutrition or specific nutritional deficiency. A high hematocrit may indicate dehydration and a few other conditions.
Hemoglobin (Hb): An iron-containing protein that enables red blood cells to carry oxygen from the lungs to body tissues.
Lymphocytes: These are white blood cells that identify foreign substances, bacteria, and viruses in the body—and produce antibodies against them. Lymphocytes are produced in the bone marrow and are divided into T-cell and B-cell lymphocytes. |
Marshall Editions
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| Examples of this kind of medical condition include anaphylactic shock that has set in as a result of a severe allergic reaction, or symptoms of shock that have developed as a consequence of significant blood loss. This type of condition clearly goes beyond the remit of first aid prescribing. However, once the emergency situation has been dealt with, homeopathic treatment may still be of value in helping the patient to come to terms with the trauma. Prescribing of this kind is best delivered by an experienced homeopathic practitioner. |
| SYMPTOMS
TREATMENT GOAL
• Cramping sensations in the abdomen
• Pain in the lower back
• Dragging pains
• Heavier blood loss than usual
• Headaches
• Dizziness and fainting
Conventional and complementary therapies focus on isolating the cause of the pain to rule out a serious underlying condition. Treatment involves relieving symptoms of pain and discomfort to prevent period pain from interfering with daily routines. o
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A thorough medical history is taken and a physical examination performed to make sure there a serious disease is not causing the pain. |
| The lack of iron is often triggered by heavy blood loss such as through menstruation or childbirth, the body's inability to absorb iron from the diet, or a diet that lacks iron-rich foods. Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is frequently caused either by the inability of the small bowel to absorb vitamin B12, or by a lack of food in the diet containing vitamin B12. It frequently occurs in elderly people, although it may also be present in the young, particularly women. Folic acid deficiency anemia is caused by lack of folic acid. |
| Blood transfusion: Occasionally there is severe blood loss and sometimes a blood transfusion is necessary.
Surgery: Conservative therapies may be completely effective, and are generally effective in 70% of cases or more. However, complicated or severe conditions may require surgery. For example, if there is a perforation of the bowel, emergency surgery is necessary. This illness is a serious condition and treatment is immediate and aggressive. For cases that do not respond to the medical therapy described above, surgical options are available. |
| Also, blood loss can be so rapid as to cause cardiac instability.
TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
If nosebleeds do not stop by using the self-help methods recommended here, go to the hospital immediately. Some women experience nosebleeds during menstruation. If this is the case see the entry for menstrual disorder (p. 799).
282 i Herbs: The following herbs are available from Chinese herbalists or online.
• To treat all kinds of nosebleeds: Place 10 g of Bei Mao Gen (wooly grass rhizome) and 5 g of Jin Yin Hua (honeysuckle flower) in a teapot and add boiling water. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Transfusion Danger
Heart attack patients who received a transfusion for blood loss or anemia were three times more likely to have another heart attack within the following month than those who did not get a transfusion, according to the results of a recent study.
Theory: A transfusion may trigger an immune response that can exacerbate coronary artery disease.
Self-defense: Before accepting a transfusion, heart patients should ask their doctors whether their blood counts could recover on their own.
Sunil V. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
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 Today, horsetail is used to treat acne, arthritis, bedwetting, blood loss, blurred vision, broken bones, bursitis, cancer (fresh juice), catarrh, cystitis, diarrhea, dropsy, dysentery, dysuria, eczema, edema, fractures, gallstones, gout, hair loss, hematuria, hemorrhage, hemorrhoids, incontinence, kidney stones, lacrimation, ligament tears, menorrhagia, nail weakness, nephritis, osteoporosis, rectal prolapse, prostatitis, spermatorrhea, tendonitis, tooth weakness, tuberculosis, ulcers, urethritis, urinary tract infection, and venereal disease. It is also used to facilitate convalescence. |
Bill Sardi
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| Aspirin, often suggested to reduce the risk for cancer, causes a small amount of blood loss which results in the depletion of iron. Iron chelation and control must be emphasized for adequate cancer prevention. An important lesson in this book is to learn about iron and cancer.
| ^ What are you going to do after cancer treatment is completed? It is estimated that there are more than 10 million Americans living with cancer. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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 After a thorough medical history is taken, a physical exam and further laboratory testing and imaging may be requested not only to adequately diagnose the cause of the problem but also to determine if excessive blood loss has caused an anemic state.
The most worrisome situation is an acute bleeding episode. As stated earlier, bleeding that meets or exceeds saturation of a super tampon or heavy pad every hour for six to eight hours or more requires medical intervention. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 Acute blood loss (most often from menstruation, surgery, or injury)
• Chronic blood loss (commonly from bleeding ulcers, colon
TREATMENT Diet
Dietary changes are of utmost importance for the anemic person. If you adhere to the following suggestions for several weeks but still feel tired, consult your doctor. There may be an underlying disorder at work, or you may have something other than anemia.
Recommended Food
Plan your meals so that you get plenty of iron. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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 LAS was not associated with any significantly greater blood loss in the period after surgery. The incidence of drowsiness, nausea and vomiting, and the need for antiemetic medication were similar in both groups (Jones et al 1985). indications and usage
Unproven Uses: The most popular use of supplemental lysine is for preventing and treating episodes of herpes simplex virus. Lysine has been used in conjunction with calcium to prevent and treat osteoporosis. It has also been used for treating pain, migraine attacks, rheumatoid arthritis, and opiate withdrawal. |
| In addition, the fruit is used to treat internal bleeding, epilepsy, arteriosclerosis, cramps, gout, hysteria and major blood loss.
EUROPEAN MISTLETOE STEM
Unproven Uses: The stem of European Mistletoe is used for its calming effect; in the treatment of mental and physical exhaustion; and as a tranquilizer against nervous conditions such as agitation, anxiety and increased excitability. |
Dr. Sharon Moalem
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| As many as 20 percent of menstruating women may have iron-related anemia because their monthly blood loss produces an iron deficiency. That may be the case in as much as half of all pregnant women as well—they're not menstruating, but the passenger they're carrying is hungry for iron too!) Without enough iron our immune system functions poorly, the skin gets pale, and people can feel confused, dizzy, cold, and extremely fatigued.
Iron even explains why some areas of the world's ocean are crystal clear blue and almost devoid of life, while others are bright green and teeming with it. |
| Even more speculative theories have suggested that Viking men may have offset the negative effects of hemochromatosis because their warrior culture resulted in frequent blood loss.
As the Vikings settled the European coast, the mutation may have grown in frequency through what geneticists call the founder effect. When small populations establish colonies in unpopulated or secluded areas, there is significant inbreeding for generations. This inbreeding virtually guarantees that any mutations that aren't fatal at a very early age will be maintained in large portions of the population. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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| Abdominal myomectomies have many of the same risks associated with a hysterectomy and can often be associated with more blood loss. Many women feel much more comfortable with retaining rheir reproductive organs and should be encouraged to find a physician who is comfortable with the concept of myomectomy when the patient prefers that approach.
Hysteroscopic myomectomies are done with an instrument inserted through the vagina, up the cervical canal, and into the uterine cavity, providing a view of the interior of the uterus and an instrument that can slice or cauterize the submucous fibroid. |
Andreas Moritz
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 Other methods are used to help lower a patient's temperature and blood pressure in order to conserve blood loss and limit excessive bleeding. Drugs are also available that increase red blood cell production. All of these methods have very few or no side effects. Whenever doctors have to conduct surgery on members of the Jehovah's Witnesses, they have no other choice but to use the blood-free procedures (with higher success rates than those obtained by ordinary transfusion). This success has motivated the doctors and some of their colleagues to adopt the procedures for all their patients. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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| Bleeding that is even more severe will require immediate medical attention to assess the need for a surgical intervention and management of the dangers of acute blood loss.
A licensed naturopathic physician may work in tandem with conventional medical colleagues to cooperate on an integrated approach to optimize the patient outcome.
AMENORRHEA
CHAPTER
OVERVIEW
Traditionally, amenorrhea (absence of menstrual bleeding) has been classified as either primary or secondary. Primary amenorrhea means that no vaginal bleeding has ever occurred by the time of expected initial onset (usually age 16). |
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