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How dangerous is Gastrointestinal bleeding? When to consult a doctor?

Gastrointestinal bleeding, also known as GI bleeding, is an acute medical condition seen in many patients. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is so common that medical practitioners witness at least a single case every day in the emergency ward. People suffering from GI bleeding are always prone to some serious illness in the digestive tract. Besides being a condition itself, GI bleeding is more of a symptom of a critical underlying disease. For people suffering from GI bleeding, experts recommend a GI bleed treatment diet. Many clinics and hospitals in India cater to GI bleeding treatment, owing to the prevalence of the cases. GI bleeding varies from person to person, depending on their habits and health condition, however, if not checked on time, this condition can even lead to Alcohol Death. This article will acknowledge you about gastrointestinal bleeding, stomach bleeding symptoms, etc. Keep reading to know more.

 

What is Gastrointestinal Bleeding?

As the name speaks, gastrointestinal bleeding is a bleeding disorder that generally occurs in the gastrointestinal tract. It is a pre-warning or symptom of a serious problem in your digestive tract. GI bleeding can vary from acute to chronic. In acute GI bleeding, the outburst is unprecedented and severe. However, chronic GI bleeding lasts for a prolonged period through the bleeding is slight. 

 

GI bleeding can come up into sections of the GI tract. There is a difference between Upper and lower GI bleed. The one occurring in the upper tract is known as Upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and the lower one is called Lower GI bleeding. The blood often appears in the stool or comes out via vomiting. Although the blood is inconspicuous in most cases, the stool may be black or tarry. As per medical studies, GI bleeding can range from mild to severe, however, in critical cases, it can be deadly as well. 

Read Also: What is gastrointestinal disorder? How do you know when there’s a problem?

 

 

What are the symptoms of Gastrointestinal bleeding?

The gastrointestinal bleeding symptoms are concisely divided into two kinds. One that is obvious and another that is underlying or hidden. The stomach bleeding symptoms largely depend on the site of bleeding. The gastrointestinal tract is lined from the mouth to the anus. Gastronomical bleeding can come up in any location. Here are listed the GI bleeding symptoms as per their occurrence:

 

Obvious/ Overt symptoms

  • Blood in vomit
  • Tarry black stool
  • Rectum bleeding

 

Underlying/ Occult Symptoms

  • Breathlessness
  • Dizziness accompanied by lightheadedness
  • Pain in chest
  • Reeling sensation, as if you will faint
  • Pain in the abdomen

Read Also: Pancreatic Cancer: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Cost in Delhi

 

What are the causes of Gastrointestinal Bleeding?

As GI bleeding occurs in two sites – the Upper GI tract and the lower GI tract, the causes of GI bleeding may differ in both cases. Below enlisted the possible causes of gastrointestinal bleeding;

 

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding

  • Peptic Ulcers: One of the most common causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding is peptic ulcers. These tiny sores developed in the lining of the stomach and the upper section of the small intestine.
  • Esophagus Varices: People suffering from fatal liver disease can have enlarged veins in their oesophagus, which leads to GI bleeding.
  • Tears in the oesophagus: Also known as Mallory-Weiss tears, this condition may cause severe GI bleeding. People with excess drinking habits may experience this.
  • GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the swelling of the oesophagus, and can cause GI bleeding in the upper GI tract.

 

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding

  • Diverticular disorder: In this condition, small bulging pouches get developed in the digestive tract. One such pouch gets inflamed due to infection, leading to gastrointestinal bleeding.
  • Haemorrhoids: Slight swelling in the anus or lower rectum causes haemorrhoids, which augments GI bleeding.
  • Anal fissures: Small tears in the anal area are called anal fissures. These fissures can be one of the causes of GI bleeding in the lower GI.
  • Benign tumours: Non-cancerous tumours can develop anywhere in the GI tract, which can accelerate gastrointestinal bleeding.

How dangerous is GI bleeding?

Be it any gastrointestinal bleeding symptoms, the complication it brings with it can be life-threatening. The primary reason behind it is that GI bleeding symptoms are almost non-recognizable. For beginning the treatment, the cause must be diagnosed at the earliest possible. However, the symptoms come up only when it becomes chronic. At the chronic stage, the GI bleeding condition takes a long time to treat. The gastrointestinal bleeding treatment requires paramount care in the worst scenarios. 

Another concerning factor is that GI bleeding aggravates the consumption of alcohol in people. Today, a large mass of people have severe drinking habits. Studies show that GI bleeding can also give way to alcohol death. People with high alcohol consumption are more prone to experience GI bleeding. And in these people, the GI bleed recovery time gap widens unless they take the condition seriously.  GI bleeding invites a lot of complications like anaemia and, in the worst cases, death. It surely affects your health and lifestyle. 

Read Also: Constipation Embarrassment? You Shouldn’t Ignore it at Any Cost

 

When to consult a doctor?

The onset of GI bleeding symptoms like shock, tarry stool, bloody vomit, is the right time to see a doctor. It is essential to start up gastrointestinal bleeding treatment as soon as possible before the condition worsens. It is likely to occur in people with a history of some medical condition. Besides that, old age is also a primary influencing factor of GI bleed. In such people, GI bleed recovery time extended, owing to their condition. 

When you visit a doctor, he may run several tests like upper endoscopy, Blood examination, stool examination, etc. Via the tests, the doctor shall diagnose the root cause and start the gastrointestinal bleeding treatment. Although several factors like the bleeding site, bleeding condition, etc., affect the treatment, the doctor may ask you to follow the preventive measures, for the treatment to work. In most cases, the specialist may give you a GI bleed treatment diet as a part of the treatment. 

 

Takeaway 

Dr Piyush Ranjan’s Gastro and Liver Clinic provide one of the most effective GI Bleeding treatments in Delhi. Being a distinguished Gastroenterologist in Delhi, Dr Ranjan is an experienced clinician, who caters to gastrointestinal bleeding treatment. With the expertise of Dr Piyush Ranjan, the clinic houses trained and supportive medical staff. Dr Ranjan treats gastrointestinal bleeding conditions and offers a GI bleed treatment diet for the process to work effectively. 

 

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