What Are The Symptoms Of Stomach Bleeding

Symptoms Of Stomach Cancer

The most common symptoms of stomach cancer include:

• difficulty swallowing
• indigestion that doesn’t go away
• feeling full after eating small amounts
• feeling or being sick
• tiredness due to low red blood cells

Symptoms of early stomach cancer can be similar to the symptoms of other conditions, such as stomach ulcers.

What Dangers Increase Your Chances Of Getting This Flu

The following conditions can increase the chances of stomach flu. like-

• Children can get this infection quickly, because their immune system is weak. Thats why they need to be protected from it.
• Elderly or elderly people can also fall prey to this infection because their immune system is also weak and immunity is low.
• Many people can get this disease from an infected person in the hospital. Actually, this disease can be spread due to infection.
• Apart from the hospital, the possibility of spreading this infection is more in any crowded place where people gather.
• Even if you are being treated for HIV, your immune system may be weakened and you may develop intestinal infections.

Gi Bleeding In The Elderly

In the elderly , hemorrhoids and colorectal cancer are the most common causes of minor bleeding. Peptic ulcer, diverticular disease, and angiodysplasia are the most common causes of major bleeding. Approximately 35% to 45% of all cases of acute upper GI hemorrhage occur in elderly persons. These patients increasingly account for the 10% of deaths that result from a bleeding episode each year.4

Elderly patients tolerate massive GI bleeding poorly. Diagnosis must be made quickly, and treatment must be started sooner than in younger patients, who can better tolerate repeated episodes of bleeding.9

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Causes Of Upper Gi Bleeding

Peptic ulcers are a common cause of GI bleeding. These ulcers are open sores that develop in the lining of your stomach or duodenum. An infection from H. pyloribacteria usually causes peptic ulcers.

Also, enlarged veins in your esophagus can tear and bleed as a result of a condition called esophageal varices. Tears in the walls of your esophagus can also cause GI bleeding. This condition is known as Mallory-Weiss syndrome.

Smelly And Tarry Discharge

Another very important symptom that can give a hint that a person is suffering from a bleeding ulcer is the passing of a stinky smelling and tarry discharge from the rectum in the form of unusual dark stools. This can help identify signs of gastric ulcer currently in the course of bleeding which may have been actively bleeding for a significant period of time.

• Maxwell M Chait . Lower gastrointestinal bleeding in the elderly.

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What Your Doctor Will Check

If you notice any unusual bleeding, make an appointment to see your doctor. They’ll ask you questions and give you a physical examination. Symptoms such as changes in bowel habits, stool color , consistency, and whether you have pain or tenderness may tell your doctor which area of the GI tract is affected.

They’ll test your stool for blood. You’ll also take a blood test to check to see if you’re anemic. The results will give your doctor an idea of the extent of the bleeding and how chronic it may be.

If you have bleeding in your digestive tract, you’ll likely get an endoscopy. This common procedure lets your doctor see exactly where the symptom is happening. In many cases, the doctor can use the endoscope to treat the cause of bleeding, too. It’s a thin, flexible tool that they can insert through your mouth or rectum to see the areas of concern and take a tissue sample, or biopsy, if needed.

Several other procedures can be used to find the source of bleeding, including:

X-rays. During these tests you either drink or have barium-containing fluid placed through your rectum. Then an X-ray is used to look for any unusual signs. Barium lights up on this imaging test.

Angiography. Doctors inject a dye into a vein before you get a CT scan or MRI. The dye helps to show where the trouble is. In some cases, doctors use angiography to inject medicine that may stop the bleeding.

What Can Be Done To Relieve Symptoms

If you believe you may have GI bleeding, its important to talk with a doctor. If the bleeding is serious, you may need emergency care to determine the cause and treat the condition. If your bleeding is serious, you may be admitted to the hospital.

Testing can be useful, not only in diagnosing GI bleeding but also for treating it.

Special scopes with cameras and laser attachments, along with medications, can be used to stop the bleeding. In addition, the doctor can use tools alongside scopes to apply clips to the bleeding vessels to stop the bleeding.

If hemorrhoids are the cause of your bleeding, over-the-counter treatments might work for you. If you find that OTC remedies dont work, a doctor might use a heat treatment to shrink your hemorrhoids, or in severe cases, a surgical procedure to remove them.

Antibiotics can usually treat infections.

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What Can I Expect

Most children with an upper GI bleed recover very well. Those with certain liver or clotting problems can suffer from more serious and repeated bleeds. Blood transfusions or surgery might be indicated in the more severe cases. Management in the hospital by pediatric specialists will help provide optimal care.

In lower GI bleeding, polyps in children are mostly benign and usually do not recur. Follow up colonoscopy might be necessary in some cases.

Preventing constipation will help avoid the recurrence of fissures and rectal irritation.

If colitis is the reason for the bleeding, medications will be prescribed to heal the inflammation.

Chronic Lower Abdominal Symptoms

The lower GI tract begins after the duodenum. It runs from the small intestines to the large intestines, or colon, to the anus.

There are several digestive disorders that can contribute to intestinal symptoms such as lower abdominal pain, cramping, and bowel movement problems.

Some common lower GI disorders include:

• Celiac disease:People who have celiac disease can’t eat gluten since it damages the small intestine. Celiac disease is often mistaken for other gastrointestinal disorders before it’s correctly diagnosed. Your doctor needs to run blood tests and other labs to determine if your symptoms are related to celiac disease.
• Diverticulitis: Diverticulitis is the inflammation of diverticula, which are bulging pouches in the walls of the intestines. Symptoms include sharp pains in the lower left abdomen, usually accompanied by a fever. If left untreated, diverticulitis can cause life-threatening complications.
• Inflammatory bowel disease: This is an umbrella term for two separate conditions: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both are chronic conditions that require lifelong monitoring and treatment.
• Irritable bowel syndrome : People dealing with this very common digestive disorder have recurring abdominal pain and may suffer from diarrhea, constipation, or both.

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How Is Gi Bleeding Treated

In Upper GI bleeding, endoscopy is the best way to determine the cause of the upper GI bleeding and will be recommended if the bleeding has been serious. In this test, a fiber optic flexible tube with a video system allows a direct look into the esophagus, stomach and duodenum. If active bleeding is seen, it can be stopped by injecting medications at the source.

More commonly, upper GI bleeding is treated with medications that decrease the stomachs acid, such as Zantac, Pepcid, Prevacid, Prilosec, etc., while the lining heals.

The treatment of lower GI bleeding depends on the cause and the location of the bleeding. Colonoscopy is the best way to determine the cause of lower GI bleeding and will be recommended if the bleeding suggests a polyp or a diagnosis of colitis is suspected. In this test, a fiber optic flexible tube with a video system allows a direct look into the rectum and can be advanced throughout the large intestine. Polyps can be removed during the colonoscopy with special snares, and biopsies taken for diagnosis or culture.

Local fissures and hemorrhoids are managed with diet modification, stool softeners and topical creams and ointments.

What Are The Possible Complications Of Peptic Ulcer Disease

An ulcer left untreated may cause serious complications, including:

• Internal bleeding: While most people with ulcers wont have bleeding, this is the most common complication that can occur. A slow bleeding ulcer can cause anemia or even severe blood loss.
• Perforation: An ulcer that is continuously eroded by acid can eventually become a hole in the stomach or intestinal wall. This is intensely painful and also dangerous. It allows bacteria from the digestive tract to enter the abdominal cavity, which can lead to an infection of the abdominal cavity called peritonitis. From there, the infection is at risk of spreading to the rest of the body . This can lead to a life-threatening condition called .
• Obstruction: An ulcer in the pyloric channel, the narrow passageway that leads from the stomach into the duodenum, can become an obstruction that blocks the flow of food into the small intestine. This can happen after the ulcer has healed. Ulcers that have gone through a healing process may build up scar tissue that enlarges them. An ulcer that is big enough to obstruct the small intestine can stall the digestive process, with numerous side effects.
• Stomach cancer: Some gastric ulcers can become malignant over time. This is more likely when your ulcer is caused by H. pylori infection. H. pylori is a contributing cause of gastric cancer, though fortunately this is uncommon.

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Fainting Or Passing Out

After sitting or lying down for a long amount of time, the person who tries to stand up may experience lightheadedness which may lead to fainting. This happens because the body doesnât pump enough blood to the brain as much as necessary.

A display of faintness during situations like standing or sitting after prolonged lying down in a patient with stomach ulcer can be an indication of bleeding. With increased blood loss, the person may become anemic. The individual will usually feel weak and sleepy most of the day. It makes them feel exhausted as well.

• Ian LP Beales . Advances in the Therapy of Bleeding Peptic Ulcer.

Why Does Gi Bleeding Happen

In upper GI bleeding, stomach acid can irritate the lining of the esophagus to the point of causing bleeding. In other cases, retching and vomiting can cause a tear in the lining of the lower esophagus , or abnormal veins can be present if there is a liver problem.

Ulcers in the stomach and duodenum can be due to irritation from certain medications, such as aspirin or from infection, particularly from the bacteria, H.pylori.

Uncommon sources are polyps and abnormal blood vessels.

In lower GI bleeding, straining and passage of a hard or wide stool can injure the lining of the rectum and result in bleeding. In the case of colitis, ulcers are deep enough to break the blood vessels, as the lining is inflamed and delicate. Polyps are finger-like overgrowths of the lining of the intestine and bleed when the stool rubs against them.

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What Are The Symptoms

• Bright red blood coating the stool
• Dark blood mixed with the stool
• Black or tarry stool
• Bright red blood in vomit
• “Coffee-grounds” appearance of vomit

Other signs, which also need a doctorâs attention, include:

• Fatigue, weakness, pale appearance
• Anemia — your blood is low on iron-rich hemoglobin

The location of the bleeding may affect what you notice.

If it comes from the rectum or the lower colon, bright red blood will coat or mix with your stool. The stool may be mixed with darker blood if the bleeding is higher up in the colon or at the far end of the small intestine.

When there’s bleeding in the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum , the stool is usually black, tarry, and very foul smelling. Vomit may be bright red or have a “coffee-grounds” appearance when bleeding is from the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum.

If bleeding is hidden, you might not notice any changes in stool color.

Keep in mind that some medications, such as iron, bismuth, and the antibiotic cefdinir, and some foods, such as beets, can give the stool a red or black appearance that looks like blood but isn’t.

Symptoms also vary depending on how quickly you bleed.

If sudden, massive bleeding happens, you may feel weak, dizzy, faint, short of breath, or have cramp-like belly pain or diarrhea. You could go into shock, with a rapid pulse and drop in blood pressure. You may become pale.

What Are The Complications And Prognosis For Gastrointestinal Bleeding

The outcome of treatment for gastrointestinal bleeding greatly depends on several factors including:

• The cause and location of the bleeding
• The rate of bleeding when the person sees a doctor
• Prior health problems and conditions
• Maintain a proper diet and take the medications prescribed as directed.

Follow-up with your doctor on a regular basis to monitor progress, so that the doctor can prevent further progression and complications of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Sometimes, the complications of gastrointestinal bleeding can be fatal.

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Can Stomach Ulcers Just Go Away

Some ulcers follow a chronic pattern of healing temporarily on their own and then returning. This might happen if the factors contributing to your ulcer, such as NSAID use, smoking and alcohol, are temporarily reduced and then resumed. You wont completely heal your ulcer until you eliminate the cause, whether that is chronic NSAID use, H. pylori infection or an overactive stomach. Even after successful treatment, you can get another ulcer.

Presence Of Blood In Stool

When the person uses the toilet, he may experience and be surprised with the presence of a blood in the stool discharge. It is one of the most well-known symptoms of a bleeding ulcer.

If the person goes for a long call of nature and notices dark red traces of blood in the feces, he should seek medical assistance. Blood traces in the stool of a given individual is reasonable enough to believe that he may be experiencing a problem of bleeding ulcers within the digestive track.

It is important to note that blood in the stool is an indicative sign and symptom of internal bleeding ulcers that needs to be confirmed through examinations by a medical professional.

• Biecker E, Heller J, Schmitz V, Lammert F, & Sauerbruch T . Diagnosis and management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

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How Soon After Treatment Will I Feel Better

If you take all medicines as prescribed and avoid irritating the ulcer with NSAIDs, alcohol or smoking, your ulcer should heal well within a few weeks. Surgical cases may take a few weeks more. Your healthcare provider will follow up with you at the end of your course of medication to make sure the ulcer has healed and any infection has cleared. They will probably take follow-up tests, including an upper endoscopy to look at the site of the ulcer and tests for H. pylori, if you had it, to make sure the infection is gone.

Indigestion That Doesn’t Go Away And Burping

You can get indigestion when acid from the stomach goes back up into the food pipe . Or you can get it if you have any irritation in your stomach. This often happens after eating .

Remember, indigestion is common and it’s not usually caused by cancer. Indigestion and heartburn can be very painful, even if nothings seriously wrong. See your doctor if youve had heartburn most days for 3 weeks or more.

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What Changes And Home Remedies Can Help Prevent Stomach Flu

• Drink water and avoid caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee.
• Dont drink alcohol.
• Eat only fast and easily digestible food. Eat things like soda crackers, chicken, bananas, toast or gelatin. Cut down on food when you feel anxious.
• Avoid high-spicy, heavy food, alcohol and caffeinated things until you recover.
• Take a rest
• For any further questions or information contact your doctor.

If you want to know the answer to any question related to this flu, then it would be better to understand from Dr. Shankar Dhaka. If you have any other questions you can ask on our Facebook page. We will try our best to answer all your questions in the comment box. You must share this article to make your near and dear ones aware of this information.

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Causes Of Gastric Bleeding

Stomach ulcers: Ulcers in the stomach are a common occurrence. Bleeding from open gastric ulcers is the most common cause of bleeding in the stomach. Bleeding from stomach ulcers can occur intermittently over a long period of time . Alternatively, significant bleeding from stomach ulcers can occur suddenly. This is a dangerous situation that can even be lethal without treatment.

The main causes of gastric ulcers are infection with the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, excessive use of certain drugs , and certain lifestyle factors. Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the most common causes of stomach ulcers. This bacteria affects the mucus coat on the inner lining of the stomach wall.

Along with the highly acidic gastric acid, H. pylori infection can damage the lining of the stomach wall, causing bleeding ulcers. A variety of drugs can either cause or aggravate gastric bleeding. Drugs can affect mucus production, thereby decreasing the normal resistance of the gastric mucosa to the effects of the strong stomach acid. Many drugs also cause increased gastric acid production and affect the clotting process.

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