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Nutrition > Nutrition Forum > Food for nosebleeds, low iron
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Q: Food for nosebleeds, low iron
asked by: DoctorQuestion on January 19th, 2007
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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Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov , MD
replied on January 23rd, 2007
Nutrition Answer A2185
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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