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Gastrointestinal (GI) Bleeding

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a symptom of many digestive system disorders, including reflux, ulcers and cancer. It can occur in any part of the digestive system (GI tract), which runs from the mouth to the anus. Bleeding can be mild and ongoing or come on suddenly and be life-threatening.

What are the types of GI bleeds?

  • Acute: Sudden, severe bleeding that’s a sign of a medical emergency.
  • Chronic: Bleeding that comes and goes over a long time.
  • Occult: Bleeding is not visible as it is microscopic, but you can see signs of GI blood loss (such as low blood counts) on laboratory testing.
  • Overt: Visible signs of a GI bleed, including abnormal colors or substances in your feces (poop). You may also vomit blood.
  • Obscure: When standard endoscopy testing does not reveal a source of GI bleeding.

Advanced endoscopy techniques

Researchers and scientists continually develop new technologies to make endoscopies even less invasive. For example, a capsule endoscopy shows your organs up close without a scope. Instead, you swallow a vitamin-sized capsule with a camera inside. As the capsule travels through your esophagus, stomach and small intestine, it takes pictures that can help diagnose bleeding and tumors in your digestive system.

What causes an upper GI bleed?

Issues affecting the upper GI area that can cause bleeding include:

What causes a lower GI bleed?

Issues affecting the lower GI area that can cause bleeding include:

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