Haematemesis: Understanding the Causes and Treatment of Vomiting Blood
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Introduction
Vomiting blood is a medical emergency. It can be a sign of stomach or upper gastrointestinal bleeding, which can be life-threatening if not treated immediately.
Vomiting blood is also known as hematemesis (hem-uh-TEM-ih-sis) or hematochezia (hem-uh-TOCK-ee-uh). Hematemesis refers to fresh red blood in your vomit; hematochezia indicates that you’re passing clots or pieces of tissue along with your vomit.
Signs and Symptoms
Vomiting blood is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. The amount and appearance of the blood depend on the cause of your vomiting, but there are some common symptoms that you should look out for:
Blood in your vomit that looks like coffee grounds or resembles red jelly (this can indicate bleeding from your stomach).
A dark or bright red color when you spit up (this could mean you have ulcers).
Yellowish or brownish mucus with streaks of blood (a sign of esophageal varices).
Diagnosis
Your doctor will examine you and ask about your symptoms.
A physical exam will be done to check for signs of bleeding in the stomach or intestines, which can cause vomiting blood.
Blood tests may be done to check for anemia (a low number of red blood cells) or other problems with the blood.
Imaging tests such as CT scans or ultrasounds may also be ordered to look for signs of damage to internal organs such as the liver, pancreas, and kidneys.
Common Causes
There are many common causes of vomiting blood. These include:
Gastrointestinal bleeding can be caused by ulcers or tumors in the gastrointestinal tract.
Alcohol abuse can lead to hemorrhagic gastritis (a condition that causes bleeding in the stomach).
Medications like aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) cause gastrointestinal damage and bleeding when taken for long periods at high doses.
Complications
Several complications can arise from vomiting blood. These include:
Dehydration. Vomiting can cause you to lose fluids, so drinking plenty of water is essential when you have an upset stomach. If you don’t replace these lost fluids, dehydration can occur, leading to other health problems such as dizziness or fatigue.
Malnutrition (or undernutrition). When someone vomits more than once a day for several days in a row, they may not be able to keep up with their nutritional needs through food alone–and this can lead to malnutrition if left untreated over time.
The most common signs of malnutrition include weakness; fatigue; dry skin; hair loss; pale skin tone; weight loss despite an increased appetite (this happens because your body is trying so hard just trying not to throw up all the time); low blood pressure due to low amounts of protein circulating throughout your body.
Treatment
If you’re vomiting blood, you should see a doctor right away. The first step in treatment is to determine the underlying cause of your bleeding stomach.
Your doctor will likely order tests such as blood work and endoscopy (a procedure that involves inserting a long tube down your throat). Surgery may be required to stop the bleeding or repair any damage caused by it.
If your symptoms are milder than those described above but still worrisome enough for concern–for example, if you experience chronic nausea or vomiting after eating certain foods–your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes instead of medication: avoiding triggers like spicy foods, chewing food more thoroughly; drinking plenty of water before meals; taking antacids regularly (if needed); avoiding alcohol consumption (especially excessive amounts).
Prevention
Maintain a healthy diet. A balanced diet is one of the best ways to prevent vomiting blood, as it provides you with all the nutrients and vitamins needed to function correctly. If you have recently started vomiting blood, you must eat iron-rich foods like leafy greens or lean meats like chicken breast.
Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol can irritate your stomach lining and lead to bleeding from your esophagus or stomach ulcers, which may result in bleeding when you vomit food or liquid into your mouth (called emesis).
Avoiding excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages is recommended if you experience frequent episodes of emesis due to other causes, such as gastritis (inflammation) or peptic ulcer disease (PUD).
Avoid smoking cigarettes since smoke damages tissue throughout the body, including blood vessels that supply oxygenated blood from heart muscles through the lungs back into heart muscles again before returning out through arteries leading away from lungs where oxygen levels drop down below normal levels due to lack thereof being consumed during respiration process happening inside lungs every time someone breathes air into them while inhaling deeply enough so that air fills up all available space inside chest cavity thereby forcing some amount leftover behind after exhaling those same breaths out again later on the down road somewhere else outside world once more.
However, sometimes there isn’t enough air left over after being breathed out, so instead, we cough – but this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try harder next time!