Question: What are the symptoms of GI bleeding?
Answer: Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding symptoms depend on the type of GI bleeding you have. If you have symptoms of acute or severe GI bleeding, seek medical help right away.

Acute GI bleeding

Acute bleeding begins suddenly and can sometimes be severe. You may notice symptoms, such as

black or tarrystool
dark or bright red blood mixed with stool
bright red blood invomit
vomit that looks like coffee grounds

Acute GI bleeding may have other symptoms, such as

having cramps or pain in yourabdomen
fainting or feeling lightheaded or dizzy
feeling tired
having shortness of breath

If acute GI bleeding is severe, you could go into shock. Symptoms of shock include

confusion or unconsciousness
fast heart rate
pale skin
cold hands and feet
sweating

Shock is life-threatening. If you have symptoms of shock, seek emergency medical help right away.

Chronic GI bleeding

Chronic GI bleeding may cause you to have a small amount of blood in your stool. If the amount of blood is too small for you or your doctor to see, it is called occult bleeding. Doctors can order stool and blood tests to check for occult bleeding.

In some cases, chronic GI bleeding causes mild symptoms that come and go over time. In addition, you may have variable symptoms and notice that your stool is sometimes black and tarry or sometimes mixed with bright red blood.

Over time, chronic bleeding can cause anemia. Symptoms of anemia may include

feeling tired
pale skin
shortness of breath

If the amount of bleeding suddenly increases, you may have symptoms of acute GI bleeding. If you have symptoms of acute GI bleeding, seek medical help right away.
Question: What causes GI bleeding?
Answer: A variety of diseases and conditions can cause GI bleeding, and these vary by where in the GI tract the bleeding takes place.

Upper GI bleeding

Causes of upper GI bleeding include6

peptic ulcers, sores on the lining of thestomachorduodenumthat may bleed. The most common causes of peptic ulcers areHelicobacter pylori (H. pylori)infection and takingnonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen—andblood thinners.
gastritis, which occurs when the stomach lining is inflamed or damaged. This condition may lead to shallow breaks or ulcers in the stomach lining that bleed. Causes of gastritis includeH. pyloriinfection, taking NSAIDs and blood thinners, and drinking alcohol.
esophagitis,inflammationin the esophagus that may lead toulcersand bleeding. Esophagitis is often caused bygastroesophageal reflux disease.
varices—enlargedveins—in the esophagus or stomach that can cause bleeding if the veins burst. Varices are most often related tocirrhosis.
Mallory-Weiss tears, tears in the lower esophagus that can bleed. These tears are often caused by severe vomiting.
benign tumorsorcancer, which may occur in the esophagus or stomach. These abnormal growths can weaken the lining of the GI tract, exposingblood vesselsand causing bleeding.

Small bowel bleeding

Causes of small bowel bleeding include7,8

angiodysplasia, a condition in which blood vessels in the GI tract are abnormal or enlarged. These abnormal or enlarged blood vessels can become weak and bleed.
inflammationin the small bowel, which may lead to erosions and ulcers and cause bleeding. Causes of small bowel inflammation includeCrohn’s disease, NSAIDs, and infections.
polyps, benign tumors, or cancer, which may occur in the small bowel. These abnormal growths can weaken the lining of the GI tract and cause bleeding.

Lower GI bleeding

Causes of lower GI bleeding include9

diverticular disease, in which small pouches, or sacs, form and push outward through weak spots in the wall of yourcolon. Diverticular bleeding occurs when a small blood vessel within the wall of a pouch bursts.
hemorrhoids, swollen and inflamed veins around youranusor in your lower rectum that may bleed, oranal fissures, small tears that also can cause itching, tearing, or bleeding in your anus.
polyps, benign tumors, or cancer, which may occur in the colon orrectum. These abnormal growths can weaken the lining of the GI tract and cause bleeding.
colitis, inflammation in the colon that may lead to ulcers and bleeding. Causes of colitis include lack of blood flow to the colon,inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—such asulcerative colitisor Crohn’s disease—and infections.