Internal bleeding is the bleeding that occurs inside the body, usually within the tissues, organs, or in body cavities. This condition is also known as internal hemorrhage, and it commonly occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, chest, and the head or the brain./>Sometimes, internal hemorrhages can also occur in the eyes, and within the tissues lining the heart, muscles, and the joints. Internal bleeding occurs when the blood vessels get damaged, and blood escapes from the circulatory system and accumulates inside a body cavity or within the tissues./>The severity of the condition depends on the extent of damage, as well as the site of bleeding. Internal bleeding or hemorrhage of vital organs like the brain, lungs, and the abdomen can lead to life-threatening complications, and so, it calls for immediate medical attention. However, this condition is not easy to identify, as the symptoms may not be evident in the early stage./>Possible Causes/>Internal hemorrhages are usually caused by injuries, such as a fall from a great height, deceleration trauma, and car or motorbike accidents. This condition can also be caused by fractures, as well as the rupture of the blood vessels, which can occur in patients of high blood pressure. Cancer is another common cause of this condition./>Some other important causes are, liver cirrhosis, gastric disorders, ectopic pregnancy, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, ovarian cysts, colon polyps, diverticulitis, vascular disorders, miscarriages, and bleeding disorders like hemophilia. People with bleeding disorders, and those taking anticoagulant drugs can experience spontaneous bleeding at times. Apart from these, alcohol abuse, and use of certain anti-inflammatory medications can increase the risk of internal bleeding./>Internal Bleeding Signs and Symptoms/>Internal hemorrhages are quite difficult to identify, as the bleeding is not evident from outside, and additionally, the symptoms can appear when the affected individual has already lost a considerable amount of blood. The signs and symptoms of internal bleeding also depend on the extent of bleeding and its location. Nevertheless, the following are some common signs and symptoms that one can experience depending on the location of the bleeding./>Symptoms of Intracranial Bleeding/>Bleeding inside the skull can affect mental or cognitive functions of the affected individual. Intracranial or brain hemorrhages are usually caused by a trauma to the head, high blood pressure, brain tumors, bursting of aneurysms, and abnormalities of the blood vessels. This condition can produce the following symptoms:/>✧ Sudden and severe headaches/>✧ Seizures/>✧ Nausea and vomiting/>✧ Loss of balance and coordination/>✧ loss of consciousness./>Sometimes, this condition can produce stroke-like symptoms, such as weakness in an arm or leg, slurred speech, and loss of vision./>Symptoms of Intra-abdominal Bleeding/>The most common symptom of bleeding in the abdominal region is pain. If the spilled blood accumulates in the peritoneum, one can experience severe pain with movement, and additionally, the abdomen may feel hard or rigid. If a significant amount of blood is lost due to intra-abdominal bleeding, then the affected individual can experience:/>✧ Weakness/>✧ Dizziness or lightheadedness/>✧ Shortness of breath/>✧ A drop in blood pressure/>Gastrointestinal bleeding can produce the following symptoms:/>✧ Black and tarry stool/>✧ Red or coffee-colored vomit/>Sometimes, intra-abdominal bleeding can produce symptoms like bruising as well. An example is Cullen's sign, which can be distinguished as a superficial bruising or yellow-blue discoloration around the umbilicus. Another example is Grey-Turner sign, which is also a type of bruising that appears on the flanks, and looks like bluish discoloration of the skin./>Bleeding of the Urinary Tract/>Internal bleeding of the urinary tract can occur in the kidneys, urinary bladder, or any other part of the urinary tract. This condition is usually caused by bladder or urinary tract infections, but occasionally, people receiving radiation therapy can also develop inflammation of the bladder wall and bleeding. The classic symptom of bleeding in the urinary tract is hematuria or presence of blood in urine. If a large amount of blood is lost, it can lead to shock./>Bleeding within Muscles and Joints/>Internal bleeding occurring deep within the muscles can produce intense pain, difficulty in moving the joint near the injury, and loss of sensation. Internal bleeding in the joints can also cause severe pain, and a loss of range of motion./>A few other common symptoms of internal hemorrhages are:/>✧ Blood coming from the mouth, nose, or ears/>✧ Spitting or coughing up blood/>✧ Cold and clammy skin/>✧ Paleness/>✧ Weak pulse/>✧ Shock/>Diagnosis and Treatment/>The treatment of internal hemorrhages depends on the underlying causes, and the amount of blood lost. A number of tests and examinations, like a complete blood count test, CT scan, ultrasound, colonoscopy, endoscopy, and angiography are employed for detecting the underlying causes and the site of bleeding. On the basis of the results of these tests and the overall health condition of the patient, treatment is aimed towards stopping the bleeding, and evaluating and repairing the damage./>Physicians administer medications after evaluating the condition of the patient and the extent of bleeding. Surgery may be required to repair the damage, or remove the structure responsible for causing the bleeding. Depending on the amount of blood lost, intravenous administration of fluid and blood transfusions can be required to compensate the loss of blood and fluid. So, proper diagnosis or identification of the source of bleeding is key to the effective treatment of this condition./>Depending on the location and the amount of blood lost, internal bleeding can be quite serious at times. An understanding of the condition can, however, help identify it on time and ensure prompt treatment. People with some specific medical conditions, which are known to increase the risk of internal hemorrhages, should maintain caution./>Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only, and should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice.

  Facebook announced Monday that it's getting rid of its @facebook.com e-mail service. E-mail service, you say? Yes, the social network actually had a service for e-mail addresses that users could get when they signed up -- not to be confused with Facebook Messages, Chat, or Messenger. Very few people actually used the service, according to the social network, hence, its retirement. A Facebook spokesperson told CNET that the social network has started notifying people who use their @facebook.com e-mail accounts that the 'feature is changing.' /> 'We're making this change because most people haven't been using their Facebook e-mail address, and we can focus on improving our mobile messaging experience for everyone,' the spokesperson told CNET. Facebook just gave its mobile messaging a major boost. Last week it announced it was buying messaging service WhatsApp for $16 billion, plus an additional $3 billion in stock grants. Even with its e-mail service now dead, the WhatsApp deal shows that Facebook is serious about being a powerful contender in the global messaging scene.

  The moon is seen over Dresden, Germany, last week. Researchers say they filmed video of a meteorite impact that sets a new record as the brightest ever recorded./>Madiedo and his fellow scientists say the impact left a new crater on the moon that likely measures more than 130 feet in diameter. But they caution that specifics about the meteorite's impact are tough to nail down, in part because its origin cannot be determined. 'Two sources have been considered for the impactor,' they write. 'The event was compatible with the impact geometry of the September Epsilon Perseids minor shower, but it could also be associated with a sporadic meteorid.' The Spanish researchers say the telescopes that spotted the impact are part of a project called MIDAS – for Moon Impacts Detection and Analysis System. The moon is a ripe research area for meteorite impacts, having no atmosphere to prevent them from hitting home as the Earth does. It's a certainty that the moon has seen far larger explosions on its surface than the one reported this week. But the blast's power is believed to be triple that of the previous large impact, which was reported by NASA last year. Madiedo and his colleagues say they'll keep watching for more impacts. 'Our telescopes will continue observing the Moon as our meteor cameras monitor the Earth's atmosphere,' Phys.org reports him saying. 'In this way we expect to identify clusters of rocks that could give rise to common impact events on both planetary bodies. We also want to find out where the impacting bodies come from.' As Mark reported for the Two-Way earlier this month, A Big Asteroid Just Flew By, And Guess What? More Are Coming.

  Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., whose House career stretches nearly 60 years, will retire at the end of his term as the longest-serving member of Congress in history./>Nearly every news account Monday of Rep. John Dingell's retirement announcement made mention of his amazing longevity — the Michigan Democrat is the longest-serving member in the history of Congress. While his durability is the stuff of legend, it's also remarkable that an accomplished, heavyweight legislator like Dingell stayed so long into an era of congressional dysfunction. His 58 years of service in the House are no doubt a testament to his love for the institution. Dingell entered Congress in 1955 after winning the seat vacated when his father died. A onetime House page and elevator operator, Dingell practically grew up in a House that was a lot like a home to him. For the past 20 years, however, the 'dean of the House' — an honorific on the small license plate on the scooter he rides around the House corridors — has served in a chamber that's been rife with partisan rancor, ever less compromise and even less lawmaking. In announcing his plans to step down at the end of his term, Dingell said the sorry state of the House was only part of what was driving him into retirement. The 87-year-old's physical decline also played a significant role. But Congress' inability to free itself from partisan gridlock may have made his decision to quit easier. 'It was very painful to someone like him, who considers public service to be the highest calling,' said Marda Robillard, a lobbyist who was Dingell's chief of staff from December 1992 to May 2000. 'It saddened him.' In nearly six decades in the House, Dingell mostly knew the power of being in the majority. The Democratic House leadership had him sit in the presiding chair when the House passed historic Medicare legislation in 1965. It was leadership's way of honoring Dingell's late father, who had tried to win earlier passage of Medicare but failed. The congressman was also a long-serving, powerhouse chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Dingell, who was 6 feet 3 inches in his prime, could be imposing, sometimes breaking gavels when he pounded them during hearings. It was as committee chairman that he wrote seminal legislation — the Clear Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. With Dingell's departure, the House will lose, all at once, a great deal of institutional memory. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., who serves on the energy committee with Dingell, hopes the dean will use some of his remaining time in Congress to share as much of that knowledge as possible. 'He's still teaching us,' she told It's All Politics. 'There's no one who has his ability to ask pointed questions that require a yes or no answer that get to the heart of the matter. He can be really hard-hitting but incredibly gentlemanly.' His long career, with all the change he has witnessed, contains another lesson lawmakers would be wise to remember, Schakowsky said. 'John Dingell can teach us that nothing is permanent, that things change. He served through Nixon and Reagan. He has seen a lot of things many people thought would last that turned out to be ephemeral,' she said. Robillard, his former chief of staff, put it this way: 'I think his greatest accomplishment was his ability to adapt, his ability to stay and adjust.' She points to his Twitter and Facebook accounts as evidence, along with his embrace of Internet and data-driven re-election campaigns. 'He rolled with it,' she said. And so it could be that one ancient lawmaker, who more than anyone else looked like a permanent fixture on the Washington scene, winds up reminding his colleagues that change is the only constant in politics.