A review of Bleeding and its causes from the perspective of Persian medicine

Bleeding is the outflow of blood from the circulatory system that can occur normally and abnormally. Severe and acute bleeding due to the loss of large volumes of blood followed by hypovolemic shock is one of the most common causes of death. Persian Medicine also believes that bleeding causes many complications, including loss of strength and weakness, to which it is very important to pay attention. The aim of this study was to identify the causes of bleeding in Persian medicine.

In this review study, the materials related to the types of nazf al-dam, including the definition and causes of it in the reference books of Persian medicine like Al-Qanun fi al-Tebb, Exir Azam and the "Noor" software were studied. In conventional medicine sources, the word "bleeding" was searched from Harrison's book 2018 and authoritative database Like Google Scholar, Up to Date, Pubmed.

Bleeding is divided into natural and abnormal types in the basics of Persian medicine. Abnormal bleeding, also known as "nazf al-dam", has three main causes: vascular causes, blood causes, extra-vascular causes, and blood causes; Vascular causes cause bleeding in three ways: dissection, rupture, and opening of the arteries. Blood causes also cause bleeding by changing the quantity and quality of the blood.

 In compiling this research, the principle of fidelity and honesty of citing the texts, the originality of the sources and avoiding bias in referring to the texts or analyzes have been observed.

Examination of bleeding of various organs in Persian medical textbooks indicates that changes in blood vessels or blood can cause bleeding. All of these changes eventually lead to bleeding by rupturing or opening the fenestrations or discharge of vessels. An analysis of the comprehensive approach of the sages to the discussion of bleeding and its causes can pave the way for using the capacities of Persian medicine in the prevention and control of bleeding along with conventional medicine.