Description

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a sign of a disorder in the digestive tract. The blood is often manifested in the stool or vomit but isn't always obvious. The stools may be black or tarry stools. The bleeding can range from mild to severe and can be life-threatening.

The technology of imaging or endoscopic research you can usually locate the cause of the bleeding. The treatment depends on where the bleeding is and how severe it is.

Symptoms

The symptoms of gi bleeding may be easy to view, open flame, or not-so-obvious, known as hidden. The symptoms depend on the rate of bleeding, as well as the location of the hemorrhage, which may be in any part of the GASTROINTESTINAL tract, where it starts mouth — to where it ends — the anus.

Overt bleeding may appear as:

  • Vomiting of blood, which can be red or it can be dark brown in color and looks like coffee grounds.
  • Black, tarry stools.
  • Rectal bleeding, usually in or with stools.

With occult bleeding, you may have:

  • The dizziness.
  • Difficulty breathing.
  • Fainting.
  • Pain in the chest.
  • The Abdominal pain.

Symptoms of shock

If the bleeding starts suddenly and gets worse quickly, you could go into shock. Symptoms of shock include:

  • Weakness or fatigue.
  • Dizziness or fainting.
  • Cold, clammy, pale skin.
  • Nausea or vomiting.
  • Do not urinate or urinate a little bit at a time.
  • A gray or bluish coloration of the lips or fingernails.
  • Changes in mental status or behavior, such as anxiety or agitation.
  • Unconsciousness.
  • Rapid pulse.
  • Rapid breathing.
  • Drop in blood pressure.
  • Dilation of the pupils.

When to see a doctor

If you have symptoms of shock, you or someone else should call 911 or the local emergency number medical. If you are vomiting blood, see blood in the stool, or have black, tarry stools, seek immediate medical attention. If you notice any symptoms of GI bleeding, make an appointment with your doctor.

Causes

Gastrointestinal bleeding can happen either at the top or bottom of the gastrointestinal tract.

Bleeding of the upper GASTROINTESTINAL tract

Causes of upper gi bleeding may include:

  • Peptic ulcer. This is the most common cause of bleeding from the upper GASTROINTESTINAL tract. Peptic ulcers are open sores that develop on the inside of your stomach and the upper part of the small intestine. The acid of the stomach, either from bacteria or the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, damage to the lining, causing the formation of ulcers.
  • Tears in the lining of the tube that connects the throat and the stomach, called the esophagus. Known as Mallory-Weiss tears, which can cause a lot of bleeding. These are more common in people who drink alcohol in excess, leads to nausea and vomiting.
  • Dilated veins in the esophagus called esophageal varices. This condition occurs most often in people with serious liver disease, most commonly due to an excessive use of alcohol.
  • Portal hypertensive gastropathy. This condition occurs most often in people with serious liver disease, most commonly due to an excessive use of alcohol.
  • Esophagitis. This inflammation of the esophagus is most often caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
  • Of abnormal blood vessels. Sometimes the abnormal blood vessels, small bleeding from the arteries and the veins can cause bleeding.
  • Hiatal Hernia. Large hiatal hernias may be associated with erosions in the stomach, leading to a hemorrhage.
  • Growths. Although it is rare, the upper part of the gastrointestinal bleeding can be caused by cancer or benign tumors of the upper digestive tract.

Lower GI bleeding

The causes may include:

  • Diverticular disease. This involves the development of small, bulging pouches in the digestive tract, it is called diverticulosis. If one or more of the pouches become inflamed or infected, it is called diverticulitis.
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This includes ulcerative colitis, which causes swelling of the tissues, and ulcers of the colon and rectum. Another form of inflammatory bowel disease , Crohn's disease, involves the swelling, irritation of the tissues in the lining of the digestive tract.
  • The Proctitis. The inflammation of the lining of the rectum can cause rectal bleeding.
  • Tumors. Or non-cancerous tumors of the esophagus, stomach, colon or rectum can weaken the lining of the digestive tract and cause bleeding.
  • The polyps of the Colon. Small groups of cells that form in the lining of the colon can cause bleeding. Most are harmless, but some can be cancerous or could become cancerous if not removed.
  • Hemorrhoids. These are swollen veins in the anus or lower rectum, such as varicose veins.
  • Anal fissures. An anal fissure is a small tear in the thin, moist tissue that lines the anus.

Complications

A gastrointestinal bleed can cause:

  • Anemia.
  • The shock.
  • Death.

Prevention

To help prevent GI bleeding:

  • Limit the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
  • Limit your consumption of alcohol.
  • If you smoke, stop smoking.
  • If you have GERD , you follow up with your health care team in the treatment instructions.

Diagnosis

To find the cause of gastrointestinal bleeding, a health professional will first take your medical history, including a prior history of bleeding, and perform a physical examination. The tests may also be ordered, such as:

  • Blood tests. You may need a complete blood count, a test to see how fast your blood clots, a platelet count and liver function tests.
  • The analysis of feces. The analysis of the stool can help determine the cause of hidden bleeding.
  • Nasogastric tube lavage. A tube that goes through the nose into the stomach to remove your stomach contents. This could help to find the source of the bleeding.
  • The upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. An endoscopy is a procedure that uses a camera to see the upper part of the digestive system. The camera is connected to a long, thin tube called an endoscope, and passes through the throat to examine the upper gastrointestinal tract.
  • Colonoscopy. During a colonoscopy, a long, flexible tube is inserted into the rectum. A small video camera at the tip of the tube allows the doctor to see the inside of the entire large intestine and rectum.
  • The capsule endoscopy. In this procedure, you swallow a vitamin-sized capsule with a tiny camera on the inside. The capsule travels through the digestive tract of taking thousands of photos that are sent to a recorder you wear on a belt around your waist.
  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy. A tube with a light and a camera is placed in the rectum to look inside the rectum and the last part of the large intestine, known as the sigmoid colon.
  • The balloon enteroscopy-assisted. Specialized in the field inspects the parts of the small intestine that other tests using an endoscope cannot reach. Sometimes, the source of the bleeding can be controlled or treated during this test.
  • The angiography. A contrast dye is injected into an artery, and a series of X-rays to look for and treat the bleeding vessel or other issues.
  • Imaging tests. A variety of other imaging tests, such as a ct scan of the abdomen, can be used to find the source of the bleeding.

If GASTROINTESTINAL bleeding is serious, and non-invasive tests can't find the source, you might need surgery so that doctors can see the entire small intestine. Fortunately, this is rare.

Treatment

GASTROINTESTINAL bleeding often stops on its own. If not, the treatment depends on where the bleeding is. In many cases, the bleeding can be treated with medicine or a procedure during a test. For example, it is sometimes possible to treat a bleeding peptic ulcer during an upper endoscopy or to remove polyps during a colonoscopy.

If you have a bleeding of the upper GASTROINTESTINAL tract, you will be given an INTRAVENOUS injection of drug known as a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) to suppress the production of stomach acid. Once the source of bleeding is identified, your doctor will determine if you need to continue taking a PPI .

Depending on the amount of blood loss and if it continues to bleed, you may need to get fluids through a needle (IV), and possibly blood transfusions. If you take blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, you might need to stop.

Preparing for your appointment

If the bleeding is not severe, you might start by seeing your doctor or other health care professional. Or you may be referred immediately to a specialist in gastrointestinal disorders, called a gastroenterologist.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

When you make the appointment, ask if there is something that you need to do in advance, such as fasting before a specific test. Make a list of:

  • Your symptoms, including any that seem unrelated to the reason for their appointment and when they began.
  • All the medications, vitamins, or other supplements you are taking, including dosage.
  • History of digestive disease you have been diagnosed with, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease , peptic ulcer or inflammatory bowel disease .
  • Questions during your appointment.

Have a friend or family member, if possible, to help you remember the information they give you.

For gastrointestinal bleeding, basic questions to ask include:

  • I'm not seeing the blood, so why you suspect that a GI bleed?
  • What is likely causing my symptoms?
  • Other that the most likely cause, what are other possible causes of the symptoms?
  • What tests do I need?
  • Is my condition likely temporary or chronic?
  • What is the best course of action?
  • What are the alternatives to the primary approach you're suggesting?
  • I have other health conditions. How can I best handle them while my bleeding treated?
  • There are restrictions that must be followed?
  • You should see a specialist?
  • Are there brochures or other printed material I can have? What sites do you recommend?

Do not hesitate to ask other questions.

What to expect from your doctor

You'll likely be asked a few questions, such as:

  • The symptoms been constant? Or come and go?
  • How severe are the symptoms?
  • What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
  • What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
  • Do you take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, whether for sale with or without a prescription, or not to take aspirin?
  • Do you drink alcohol?
Symptoms and treatment of Gastrointestinal bleeding