If you are dealing with a digestive disorder or injury you may end up dealing with a bleed within the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms may or may not be apparent, depending on where the bleed is occurring within the digestive tract. Those with visible symptoms may notice rectal bleeding, black stools or they may vomit blood. Those with less visible symptoms may experience other problems such as dizziness, abdominal pain or trouble breathing. If you notice any changes in your bowels it’s important that you turn to a gastroenterologist.
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is often caused by:
- Peptic ulcers: This is usually the most common cause of bleeding with the upper GI tract. Everything from a bacterial infection to certain medications can cause sores to develop within the lining of the stomach and small intestines.
- Tears in the esophagus: Esophageal tears can cause a significant amount of bleeding and most commonly occur in heavy drinkers but can also be the result of violent coughing or vomiting.
- Esophagitis: Esophagitis, or inflammation of the esophagus, is often caused by a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This may cause vomiting that resembles coffee grounds.
Lower gastrointestinal bleeding often causes changes in bowel habits. The causes of lower GI bleeds include, :
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): IBD includes both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, which cause inflammation and sometimes sores to develop within certain parts of the digestive tract. This often presents with bloody diarrhea or bright red blood in stools. Other symptoms include weight loss, abdominal pain and loss of appetite.
- Diverticulitis: When pouches in the digestive tract develop this is known as diverticulosis, which often doesn’t cause symptoms; however, if one or more pouches become infected this results in diverticulitis, which can produce a significant amount of blood in the stool.
- Colon polyps: This lump that forms on the large intestines won’t often cause symptoms; however, some people may notice abdominal pain, mucus in the stool, or blood. Rectal bleeding is usually the most common symptom associated with colon polyps.
If you experience any warning signs of bleeding within the gastrointestinal tract then it’s time to see a GI doctor as soon as possible. Symptoms such as vomiting blood or significant rectal bleeding should be treated immediately.
