Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Your digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract includes the espophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine or colon, rectum and anus. Bleeding can come from one or more of these areas. The amount of bleeding can be so small that only a lab test can find it.

GI bleeding is not a disease, but a symptom of a disease. There are many possible causes of GI bleeding, including

• Hemorrhoids
• Peptic ulcers
• Tears or inflammation in the esophagus
• Diverticulosis and diverticulitis
• Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
• Colonic polyps
• Cancer in the colon, stomach or esophagus

The test used most often to look for the cause of GI bleeding is called endoscopy. It uses a flexible instrument inserted through the mouth or rectum to view the inside of the GI tract.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Gastrointestinal Bleeding on Wikipedia

'''Gastrointestinal bleeding''' describes every form of hemorrhage (blood loss) in the gastrointestinal tract, from the pharynx to the rectum. It has diverse causes, and a medical history, as well as physical examination, generally distinguishes between the main forms. The degree of bleeding can range from nearly undetectable to acute, massive, life-threatening bleeding. Upper endoscopy or colonoscopy are generally considered appropriate to identify the source of bleeding. Bleeding may originate from any site along the gastrointestinal tract, but is often divided into: *Upper GI bleeding (from a source located between the pharynx and the start of the duodenum) *Lower GI bleeding (from a source between the duodenum and the rectum)

Considerations

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