Hematemesis: Causes And Treatments For Vomiting Blood - Healthline

Có thể bạn quan tâm

HealthlineSubscribeHematemesis: Causes and Treatments for Vomiting Blood

Medically reviewed by Cynthia Taylor Chavoustie, MPAS, PA-C — Written by April Kahn and Colleen de Bellefonds — Updated on April 30, 2023

Appearance
Emergency care
Death
Drinking
Causes
Diagnosis
Complications
Treatment

Throwing up blood (hematemesis) can look like bright red blood, streaks of blood mixed with food, or dark brownish blood that looks like coffee grounds. Several conditions can cause you to vomit blood; some can be serious and even life threatening.

Why am I vomiting blood?

Vomiting blood (hematemesis) is the regurgitation of stomach contents mixed with blood, or the regurgitation of blood only. Blood in vomit generally comes from an upper gastrointestinal (GI) source, such as your stomach.

In some cases, minor causes may trigger vomiting blood, such as swallowing blood from a mouth injury or a nosebleed. These situations will likely not cause any long-term harm.

Vomiting blood may also be caused by more serious conditions that can be a medical emergency, such as:

internal injuries
organ bleeding
organ rupture

What to do if you’re vomiting blood

Vomiting blood is considered a medical emergency. You should always contact a medical professional if you notice blood in your vomit. It can be hard to determine the cause and severity of bleeding without a medical opinion.

You may be able to call your doctor if there’s an obvious, benign cause for blood in your vomit, such as having a recent nosebleed or oral surgery. Otherwise, call 911 or go to the emergency room (ER) immediately.

What does vomiting blood look like?

The color of vomited blood may help indicate to your doctor the source and severity of the bleeding. Regurgitated blood may appear:

bright red
as red streaks mixed with food
brown, which often resembles coffee grounds

Bright red blood often indicates an acute bleeding episode in your esophagus or stomach. It may represent a fast-bleeding source.

Darker-colored blood means the blood has been in your GI tract for a few hours. It usually represents a slower and steadier source of bleeding.

If possible, take a picture of the vomit with blood to show your doctor.

hematemesis colors — Illustration: Sophia Smith

Should I go to the ER?

Call your doctor immediately or go to the ER right away if you vomit any amount of blood, especially if it follows an injury. Blood in vomit can be due to any number of causes, from mild to life threatening. It can be difficult to tell the source of the bleeding without a medical exam.

Can vomiting blood cause death?

Vomiting blood caused by excessive bleeding can cause shock due to internal GI bleeding. Common symptoms of shock include:

fast, shallow breathing
rapid heartbeat
low urine output
pale skin
cold or clammy skin
confusion
fainting
dizziness upon standing
blurred vision

If not treated immediately, shock can lead to irreversible organ dysfunction, multi-organ failure, and death.

If you experience any symptoms of shock, have someone take you to the ER or call 911.

Throwing up blood after drinking

Some people vomit blood after drinking alcoholic beverages. You may be more likely to throw up after drinking alcohol if you:

drink on an empty stomach
smoke cigarettes
take an antidepressant or antipsychotic medication

Alcohol use disorder can also lead to more serious chronic conditions that cause vomiting blood, such as alcohol-related liver disease and esophageal varices. Symptoms such as blood in vomit usually do not appear until the liver has been severely damaged.

Causes

There are many causes of vomiting blood that range in severity from minor to major. They are normally the result of an injury, illness, or medication use.

Common causes of vomiting blood include:

swallowing blood following a nosebleed or oral surgery
a tear in the esophagus due to excessive coughing or vomiting
a bleeding ulcer
gastritis (stomach inflammation)
severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Less common and more serious causes include:

esophageal varices
alcoholic hepatitis
fatty liver disease
cirrhosis
long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
hemophilia
anemia
esophageal cancer
stomach cancer

All instances of vomiting blood should be reported to your doctor.

Diagnosis

To diagnose the cause for blood in your vomit, your doctor will begin by asking questions about your symptoms and whether or not you were recently injured.

Your doctor will likely perform an upper endoscopy to look inside your GI tract while you’re sedated.

They will place a small, flexible tube called an endoscope into your mouth and down into your stomach and small intestine. A fiber optic camera in the tube allows your doctor to see the contents of your stomach and examine you internally for any sources of bleeding.

Your doctor may also order a blood test to check your complete blood count. This helps to assess the amount of blood lost.

If your doctor suspects bleeding is due to another condition such as cancer, they may order imaging tests to look inside your body. These scans reveal atypical characteristics in your body, such as ruptured organs or atypical growths, and may include:

CT scans
ultrasounds
X-rays
MRI scans
positron emission tomography (PET) scans

Your doctor my perform a biopsy of suspicious tissue as well as other tests based on the condition they suspect may be causing you to vomit blood.

Complications of vomiting blood

Depending on the cause, vomiting blood may cause additional health complications.

Anemia is one complication of excessive bleeding. It’s a deficiency of healthy red blood cells. It occurs particularly when blood loss is rapid and sudden.

However, people with conditions that progress slowly, such as gastritis, or people with chronic NSAID use may develop anemia over several weeks to months. In this case, anemia may remain without symptoms until their hemoglobin, or blood count, is very low.

Vomiting blood can also lead to shock, which can be fatal and requires immediate medical attention.

How is vomiting blood treated?

Depending on the amount of blood lost, you may need a blood transfusion. A blood transfusion replaces your lost blood with donor blood. The blood is sent into your vein through an intravenous (IV) line. You might also require fluid through an IV to rehydrate your body.

Depending on the cause, your doctor may prescribe medication to stop the vomiting or to decrease stomach acid. If you have an ulcer, your doctor will prescribe medications to treat it.

In more severe cases of upper GI bleeding, your doctor may refer you to a gastroenterologist.

The gastroenterologist may perform an upper endoscopy to diagnose and treat the source of bleeding. In severe cases, such as stomach or bowel perforation, surgery may be needed.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Alcohol-related liver disease. (n.d.).https://liverfoundation.org/for-patients/about-the-liver/diseases-of-the-liver/alcohol-related-liver-disease
Alcohol-related liver disease. (2018).https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alcohol-related-liver-disease-arld/
Brown J. (2019). NSAIDs can wreck your stomach if you’re not careful: Are you at risk?https://creakyjoints.org/treatment/nsaids-gastrointestinal-side-effects/
Hematemesis. (n.d.).https://muschealth.org/medical-services/ddc/patients/symptoms-and-conditions/hematemesis
Koya HH, et al. (2021). Shock.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531492/
Sharma S, et al. (2021). Hypotension.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499961/
Symptoms & causes of gastritis & gastropathy. (2019).https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gastritis-gastropathy/symptoms-causes
Tests for stomach cancer. (2021).https://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomach-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/how-diagnosed.html
Vomiting blood (haematemesis). (2019).https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vomiting-blood/
Vomit looks like coffee grounds after drinking alcohol. (n.d.).https://goaskalice.columbia.edu/answered-questions/vomit-looks-coffee-grounds-after-drinking-alcohol
Wilson ID. (1990). Chapter 85: Hematemesis, melena, and hematochezia. Clinical methods: The history, physical, and laboratory examinations (3rd edition).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK411/

Share this article

Medically reviewed by Cynthia Taylor Chavoustie, MPAS, PA-C — Written by April Kahn and Colleen de Bellefonds — Updated on April 30, 2023

Hematemesis: Causes And Treatments For Vomiting Blood - Healthline

Why am I vomiting blood?

What to do if you’re vomiting blood

What does vomiting blood look like?

Should I go to the ER?

Can vomiting blood cause death?

Throwing up blood after drinking

Causes

Diagnosis

Complications of vomiting blood

How is vomiting blood treated?

How we reviewed this article:

related stories

Hematemesis (Vomiting Blood): Causes, What It Is & Treatment

Vomiting Blood (haematemesis) | Nidirect

Vomiting Blood (Hematemesis): Causes And Treatments

Vomiting Blood - Augusta Health

Vomiting Blood When To See A Doctor - Mayo Clinic

Can Vomiting Blood Cause Death? - Quora

Vomiting Blood | Beacon Health System

Vomiting Blood: Symptoms, Signs, Causes & Treatment - MedicineNet

Hematemesis - Vomiting Blood, Causes And Treatment - Health Jade

Death By Aortoesophageal Fistula Due To Disseminated Tuberculosis

Vomiting Blood

Vomiting Blood - Middlesex Health

Hematemesis - Wikipedia

Liên Hệ