bleeding Archives - Health Beat

Do you have Menorrhagia

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Joann Ariola

According to the Mayo Clinic, menorrhagia is the medical term for menstrual periods with abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding.

Women with menorrhagia are unable to continue their normal activities when they are menstruating or have their “period”. When their period arrives, it is accompanied by abnormally heavy bleeding, clotting and cramping.

Some common signs and symptoms of menorrhagia are:

Saturated sanitary pads or tampons every hour for several hours
Bleeding for longer than a week
Passing blood clots larger than a quarter
Presenting with signs of anemia, lethargy, fatigue or shortness of breath

Menorrhagia can be caused by a hormone imbalance, dysfunctional ovaries, uterine fibroids, polyps, adenomyosis, and/or cancer.

Although heavy menstrual bleeding is a common concern, most women don’t experience enough blood loss to be defined as menorrhagia.

If you are experiencing heavier than normal periods and would like to make an appointment at Flushing Hospital‘s Women’s Health Center please call 718-670-5486 to schedule an appointment.

Flushing Hospital Medical Center has reopened many of its healthcare services. To learn about the safety measures the hospital has taken to protect your health, please visit https://flushinghospital.org/our-patients/

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Why is a Vitamin K Deficiency Dangerous ?

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Andrew Rubin

Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin that is responsible for the production of the components needed for blood clotting. It also may play a role in bone production. Without sufficient vitamin K we would potentially bleed too much.

There are two types of vitamin K: K1 which comes from leafy greens, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, green beans and some other vegetables and K2 which comes from meats, cheeses, and eggs.

People who are at risk of vitamin K deficiency include those :

Taking certain antibiotics
Taking blood thinners including Coumadin
Having poor absorption by the intestines due to celiac disease
Having a diet poor in vitamin K
Drinking large amounts of alcohol frequently

Vitamin K does not transfer well with breast milk and for this reason many infants are given an injection of vitamin K at birth to help them get the necessary amount that the body requires.

To determine if a person has an adequate amount in the body, a prothrombin test is performed to check blood clotting time.

If you are experiencing blood clotting issues, you should speak to your physician about the possible causes. You can schedule an appointment with a physician at Flushing Hospital Medical Center by calling 718-670-5486.

How Do You Know When Your Cut Requires Emergency Care?

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Michael Hinck

Doctors in hospital emergency departments see thousands of patients everyday who have suffered various degrees of skin penetrating wounds. While many of these patients do in fact require immediate medical attention, not all do. The issue is, many patients do not know what types of injuries warrant a visit to the Emergency Department and which do not.

Dr. James Giglio Chairman of Emergency Medicine at Flushing Hospital Medical Center states “it’s tricky for patients to tell when cuts require medical attention. Many minor wounds heal without any professional intervention, but some require stiches or other types of treatment for proper healing. So how can you tell when to go to the E.R.?

According to Dr. Giglio, wounds almost always require a trip to local ER if they are:

Deep enough to expose the muscle, bone, or fatty tissue
Wide enough so that you can’t easily apply pressure to press the edges together
Located across a joint (fear of damaging nerves, tendons or ligaments)
The result of a bite (may require tetanus or tetanus treatment)
Caused by a dirty or rusty object
On the face or any other body part where scarring is a concern
Still bleeding after 15 minutes of direct pressure

Regardless of whether or not a wound requires a visit to the Emergency Department, the risk of infection increases the longer your wound remains open. Therefore immediate wound care is very important. Dr. Giglio states “It is best to gently clean the wound as soon as possible by irrigating it with thoroughly for a few minutes under tap water. You should also apply direct pressure to the wound and keep it elevated. This will slow or stop the bleeding.”

Thorough wound care is also very important to stave off infection. All wounds should be dressed with a topical antibiotic ointment and covered with a bandage. Doctors recommend reapplying ointment and changing your bandage two -three times daily for the first couple of days. If the healing wound gets wet, pat it dry and apply a dry bandage. Moist bandages delay healing and increase the risk of infection for most wounds. If you become concerned due to worsening pain, redness or swelling, contact your doctor immediately.

According to Dr. Giglio there are always exceptions to these rules. “The best advice I can give is if you are unsure about the severity of your injury, it is better to err on the side of caution and seek medical attention.”

Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provides care for tens of thousands of patients every year. The doctors and staff in our Emergency Department can help you decide what level of treatment your wound requires.