Gastrointestinal bleeding: causes, symptoms and treatments

Gastrointestinal bleeding is a dangerous phenomenon that is accompanied by a hemorrhage into the cavity of the gastrointestinal tract. Bleeding can be caused by a variety of factors, for example, damage to the vessel wall, severe diseases of the body, accompanied by ulcers and their ruptures, as well as a violation of blood coagulability.

Gastrointestinal bleeding and their causes .

Modern medicine knows a huge number of causes of such hemorrhage. They are divided into groups depending on the damaged organ. Gastrointestinal bleeding may occur as a result of:

- diseases of the esophagus (ulcers, tumors, ingestion of foreign bodies)

- Diseases of the stomach or duodenum (formation and rupture of ulcers, malignant tumors, polyps, erosion, severe forms of gastritis, syphilis, tuberculosis)

- disorders in the liver, spleen, biliary tract or portal vein (severe liver injury, vein thrombosis, the presence of tumors, cholelithiasis)

- diseases of the cardiovascular system (atherosclerosis or rupture of the vessels of the stomach, liver, aortic aneurysm)

- Blood diseases (hemophilia, leukemia)

- diseases of those organs that lie close to the digestive system (cysts, swelling of the abdominal cavity)

- damage to the body (burn disease, taking some hormonal or other medications, all kinds of damage to the nervous system, infection, postoperative complications)

Gastrointestinal bleeding: symptoms .

There are several signs that indicate the presence of a hemorrhage in the cavity of the digestive tract. The degree of severity of symptoms depends on the severity of the lesion.

The first symptom of bleeding is bloody vomiting. It can have the color of fresh scarlet blood or a brownish mass, similar to the coffee grounds. It should be noted that with mild hemorrhage, vomiting may not appear. Repeated attacks of vomiting are observed with medium and severe forms of bleeding.

Another characteristic sign of the disease is a bloody, tarry stool, which often coincides with the onset of bleeding. Along with the feces, a different amount of fresh blood can be released - it all depends on the massive hemorrhage.

In addition, gastrointestinal bleeding may be accompanied by weakness, dizziness, pale skin, loss of consciousness, the appearance of cold sweat and cyanosis of the lips.

Gastrointestinal bleeding: treatment and diagnosis .

The process of diagnosing this phenomenon is quite easy only if symptoms such as bloody vomiting and diarrhea are present . But in some cases, such signs appear only after 2 to 3 days after the onset of bleeding. In such cases, the patient is tested for fecal occult blood. In addition, it is also necessary to determine the place of bleeding. To this end, use fluoroscopic, gastroenterological, rectal and contrast methods of research. Only by determining the place of bleeding and its severity can you begin the right treatment.

It is worth noting that in the event that the bleeding is massive and progressive, then for the beginning the patient should immediately provide first resuscitation assistance - blood transfusion, and only then do further research. In particularly severe cases, it is advisable immediately to begin a surgical operation to immediately stop the bleeding.

In cases of mild bleeding, conservative treatment is possible. For example, it is necessary to apply cold to the intended place of bleeding. In addition, the patient is shown a special sparing diet, the use of vitamins and drugs that stop bleeding.

It should be understood that in the absence of treatment, internal hemorrhage in the digestive tract can lead to a fatal outcome.