The term hematemesis usually indicates gastrointestinal alterations and corresponds to the scientific term for vomiting with blood, which can occur due to minor conditions such as nosebleeds or irritation of the esophagus; However, if vomiting with blood doesn’t go away or is associated with other symptoms, it can be a sign of more serious problems, such as cirrhosis or esophageal cancer, for example.
Therefore, in the case of vomiting with frequent blood, it is important to consult your family doctor so that tests can be done to identify the cause and thus the most appropriate treatment can be indicated, which usually varies depending on your because.
The main causes of hemattesis are
Blood intake is a major cause of hematemesis and can occur if the esophagus bleeds or becomes irritated. In such cases, blood may be involuntarily ingested and the person may release undested blood when vomiting.
What to do: Because it does not correspond to a serious situation, the person does not need to go to the hospital to resolve bleeding and treat the cause of vomiting, only in cases where the nosebleed is very severe, frequent or due to fracture, for example, in which case it is necessary to consult the doctor to take appropriate measures.
The presence of stomach ulcers can also lead to hematemesis. Due to excess heartburn, the gastric lining begins to become irritated, resulting in ulcers. As these ulcers become irritated with stomach acid, bleeding occurs, resulting in hematemesis.
In addition to hematemesis, stomach ulcers may be considered when other symptoms appear, such as feeling stomach, stomach mouth pain, more bowel movements. dark, smelly pain and abdominal pain. Here’s how to recognize a stomach ulcer.
What to do: In the presence of signs of hematemesis, it is recommended to go to your family doctor or gastroenterologist for testing and treatment, which is usually done with drugs that protect the gastric lining of acid produced in your stomach, and changes in eating habits are also recommended.
Some medications may have the side effect of a small gastrointestinal hemorrhage, which can be perceived by hematemesis, but this side effect is not all felt. Medications that may have hematemesis as a side effect include aspirin and ibuprofen, which are anti-inflammatory, but hematemesis occurs most often only when the person already has a change in the lining of the stomach or when they use these medications in large quantities and without medical advice.
What to do: If hematemesis is found to be related to the use of a particular medicine, it is important to consult the doctor who made the recommendation so that the medicine can be safely discontinued or changed.
Gastritis can also cause hematemesis because it is directly related to the fact that the gastric lining is often irritated by acid produced by the stomach. As a result of increased acidity and local irritation, some symptoms, such as vomiting with blood, abs, may appear. discomfort, burning in the stomach and nausea. Most of the time, hematemesis is linked to chronic gastritis, where inflammation of the stomach lasts longer than 3 months and whose treatment is not initiated or performed correctly.
What to do: Treatment of gastritis should be done on the advice of the gastroenterologist, and it is recommended to use gastric protective drugs, such as omeprazole and pantoprazole, for example, as they create a barrier in the stomach that prevents acid produced in the stomach to irritate the lining of the stomach again, allefing and preventing symptoms, in addition a change in eating habits is recommended and it is recommended to avoid spicy foods , fats, alcoholic beverages and frying, as they also irritate the lining of the stomach.
Find out in the video below what to eat in case of gastritis
In cirrhosis of the liver it is also possible to observe vomiting with blood as one of the symptoms and this can occur due to changes in the liver that cause the obstruction of the portal vein, which is the vein present in the liver and is responsible for the door system, a system that is responsible for draining blood from the abdominal organs. Due to liver and door system failure, there is an increase in pressure in the esophageal veins, resulting in bleeding.
Thus, in case of cirrhosis, in addition to hematemesis, abdominal swelling, loss of appetite, yellowing skin and eyes, nausea, weakness, excessive fatigue and, in more advanced cases, malnutrition may be noticed.
What to do: It is important to follow the treatment recommended by the hepatologist appropriately to avoid complications and improve a person’s quality of life, it is also important to have tests to identify the cause of cirrhosis, as it can be caused by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages or the use of certain medicines, for example. Whatever the cause, it is important that the person maintains a balanced diet rich in vitamins so that nutritional deficiencies are not controlled. See how cirrhosis treatment should be done.
Esophageal cancer is another serious cause of hematemesis and it is more common for this bleeding to occur in the later stages of cancer. In addition to vomiting with blood, in the case of esophageal cancer, other symptoms such as difficulty and pain swallowing, loss of appetite, weight loss, abdominal discomfort, presence of nodules around the navel and dark and smelly stools.
What to do: It is important to have tests to identify the cancer and its stage, as the gastroenterologist or oncologist may indicate the most appropriate treatment to reduce symptoms and prolong a person’s life. The indicated treatment is a surgical procedure to remove part of the esophagus that is affected by the tumor, followed by radio and chemotherapy to remove cancer cells that may still be present. Learn more about esophageal cancer.