How Long Does It Take To Bleed Out (And Why)?

How Long Does It Take To Bleed Out (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 1 to 5 minutes

When someone falls or gets hit by something, or in any way injures themselves, there will always be bleeding. Sometimes, the bleeding will stop all by itself within minutes or even an hour, but sometimes, they do not. At times like this, first aid must be provided to the injured, and if the bleeding doesn’t stop even after that, it is better to visit the doctor and get stitched up properly. When someone bleeds, after a while, the bleeding stops automatically, because there are cells in a person’s body that will help them in blood clotting. It was noticed that some people experienced the problem where they did not clot and kept on bleeding.

At times like this, it is very much important to find out the cause. The intensity of the bleed can also depend on the size of the wound or cut, and where the person was hit. When someone scrapes their body, even if bleeding happens, it will stop within minutes, but if they cut themselves, it can take a bit longer. When someone goes through a traumatic accident like a car accident or something, there will be cuts and lacerations all over. At times like that, they will keep bleeding and they will need immediate medical attention.

When one doesn’t get the medical attention they require at the right time and if the bleeding is not stopped in any way, they can die by bleeding out. It only takes about a couple of minutes, a maximum of 5 minutes for the person to bleed out completely and die.

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How Long Does It Take To Bleed Out?

TypesTime
Death after completely bleeding outIn 20 seconds to 1 minute
Bleeding out completely3 to 5 minutes
Bleeding out through major arteries2 to 3 minutes

According to surveys and census, it is really bad to hear that more than 60,000 Americans die from hemorrhaging and blood loss, and when it is calculated for every country in the world, the number rises to 2 million. About 1.5 million of these cases are due to physical traumas, which are caused mostly by accidents, which can lead to both internal and external bleeding. People think that they bleed out only from external and visible wounds, but that’s not true. Every year, so many people die because of exsanguination, which is bleeding internally.

It is necessary to know the signs of internal bleeding and also external bleeding, and know the right ways to treat them before actual medical help arrives. When blood loss increases, the injured will experience hemorrhagic shock, which is also known as hypovolemic shock, and this is a really dangerous situation. This starts happening when the body loses a high level of blood very quickly. There are some symptoms that a person will experience when they are going through hemorrhagic shock.

Why Does It Take That Long To Bleed Out?

In the beginning, they will feel sweaty, experience nausea, headache, dizziness, and fatigue. After the blood loss increases, the symptoms change, and the injured will exhibit signs like pale, cold, and clammy skin, weak pulse, rapid heart rate, loss of consciousness, and others. When one is internally bleeding and conscious, they can explain the symptoms, but if they are unconscious, the doctors will do a complete examination and treat them accordingly.

An average male body contains about 5 to 6 liters of blood and a woman contains about 4 to 5 liters. The hemorrhagic shock begins when one loses around 20% of their blood capacity due to the injuries, and that is why doctors pump blood into them while fixing them up.

Conclusion

Though people sometimes think bleeding will not lead to death, it will. Once a person starts bleeding profusely, they will have just about 5 minutes before they bleed completely. When the cut or lacerations are on the major arteries, it will only take 2 to 3 minutes for the injured to bleed out. The person will have about 15 to 20 seconds before their heart completely stops.

Hence, it is necessary to get checked if one has any sort of clotting problem and people with rare blood groups must be very careful because if they bleed out, it will take a while for the hospitals to get their hands on the exact type of blood.

References

  1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1542356512010385
  2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1440-1746.2011.06878.x
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Here at the EHL, it's all about delicious, easy recipes for casual entertaining. So come and join me at the beach, relax and enjoy the food.

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