when you die from blood loss, do you feel like you are dying from not being able to breathe? Because your lungs are breathing but you’re not getting oxygen where it needs to go, would it feel something like suffocating?
In: Biology
I’m by no means an expert, but I’m going to say not exactly. A normal feeling of suffocation is the direct result of the lungs sensing a lack of air (specifically nitrogen). If you’re bleeding out, oxygen isn’t getting to your brain, so you’ll feel symptoms like extreme dizziness and whatnot. But the crushing feeling in your chest would be present only if nitrogen gas wasn’t entering your lungs, as lungs don’t have the ability to sense a lack of oxygen.
No. The sensation you feel when you can’t breath (a sort of burning in the lungs) is a result of CO2 build up in the lungs. As long as you are still breathing, you won’t experience this. You are correct that with significant blood loss, your organs will not be getting the oxygen they need even if you are still physically breathing. You may notice things like tunnel vision, ringing ears, or weird sensations, but nothing like you are suffocating. Within short order, due to lack of oxygen to the brain, you will black out.
I suffered blood loss after the birth of my last son. I had passed out from it. Prior to passing out, My entire body was in pain, like each vein, capillary, artery etc was doing jobs on empty. Breathing was difficult. Blinking was difficult, you feel fear because you’re aware of what’s happening, by no flight or fight response, no adrenalin because there’s not much to pump that through.
The added thing for me was I was haemorrhaging internally, which caused a clot to form inside of me which caused my uterus to think it was a baby and as a result my uterus was still contracting like I was in labour having a baby. Overall it was pure hell, and I now have a new found fear of dying from blood loss.
I had a bleeding ulcer, didn’t recognize the signs, went up a flight of stairs turned the corner though I vividly remember calling out my sister’s name with that oh s*** sound to it.
While laying there on the floor I regained consciousness, but as soon as I sat up I started to lose consciousness again because of the lack of blood flowing through.
Beyond the sudden feeling of going dark, I don’t remember any other ill feelings. I certainly didn’t feel the first pass out, when my head hit an aluminum dog bowl and made a dent in it like you wouldn’t believe.
A very interesting experience.
In relation to OP’s question, it’s likely if you’re going out to do the blood loss that you don’t recognize it or don’t have those kinds of feelings because of the blood loss
Nope the classic burning lung feeling associated with suffocation is the result of a buildup of co2, not the lack of oxygen. You can fill your lungs up with helium and not notice that your suffocating until you start to black out. At least a couple people die from that exact thing every year.
This actually did nearly happen to me (stupidly on my part). I had signed up for a blood draw and forgot to eat before it was time. As I sat there it became more and more difficult to breathe (like you I’m assuming it was from lack of oxygen), i didn’t realize why. Everything was graying out and sounds were becoming dimmer. Another donator noticed I was extremely pale, like absolutely no color, and called the staff over. I had to rest for about an hour and eat before I could leave and of course was told to take it easy. I never really realized just HOW much blood they take from you until I saw the bags, kind of crazy.
No, you don’t feel like you can’t breathe. You feel sleepy because your brain starts to shut down. Your heart slows because it’s the most oxygen consuming organ in the body and without enough oxygen it can’t work. As you drift to sleep, your heart fails, and so do your other organs. By the time this is impactful, you’re already unconscious. You die in your sleep. Other than the “feeling of impending doom” it’s probably one of the most peaceful ways to go.
Better than a pulmonary embolism, which DOES feel like you can’t breathe.
I haven’t suffered from severe blood loss, but I have suffered from severe lack of blood pressure, which I imagine feels similar. It’s incredibly unpleasant; your whole body is just in an uproar about not getting oxygen. You become weak, dizzy and it really just feels like your life is slipping out of your body. I wasn’t in any danger, but it genuinely felt like I was dying.
I have very little blood in my body, and I am always struggling to get a breath, so I’d imagine you would probably just about suffocate.
When I donate blood, I feel cooler and weaker throughout my arm. I think it’d be like that, but where the wound is and slowly creeping outwards until becoming unconscious.
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