What are the common causes of bleeding in the digestive tract?
Esophagus inflammation (esophagitis) enlarged veins (varices) tear (Mallory-Weiss syndrome) cancer liver disease Stomach ulcers inflammation (gastritis) cancer Small intestine duodenal ulcer inflammation (irritable bowel disease) cancer Large intestine and rectum hemorrhoids infections inflammation (ulcerative colitis) colorectal polyps colorectal cancer diverticular disease How do you recognize blood in the stool and vomit? bright red blood coating the stool dark blood mixed with the stool black or tarry stool bright red blood in vomit coffee-grounds appearance of vomit What are the symptoms of acute bleeding? any of bleeding symptoms above weakness shortness of breath dizziness crampy abdominal pain faintness diarrhea What are the symptoms of chronic bleeding? any of bleeding symptoms above weakness fatigue shortness of breath lethargy faintness How is bleeding in the digestive tract treated? Endoscopy is the primary diagnostic and therapeutic procedure for most causes of GI bleeding. Active bleeding from the upper GI tract can often be controlled by injecting chemicals directly into a bleeding site with a needle introduced through the endoscope. A physician can also cauterize, or heat treat, a bleeding site and surrounding tissue with a heater probe or electrocoagulation device passed through the endoscope. Laser therapy is useful in certain specialized situations. Once bleeding is controlled, medicines are often prescribed to prevent recurrence of bleeding. Medicines are useful primarily for H. pylori, esophagitis, ulcer, infections, and irritable bowel disease. Medical treatment of ulcers, including the elimination of H. pylori, to ensure healing and maintenance therapy to prevent ulcer recurrence can also lessen the chance of recurrent bleeding. Removal of polyps with an endoscope can control bleeding from colon polyps. Removal of hemorrhoids by banding or various heat or electrical devices is effective in patients who suffer hemorrhoidal bleeding on a recurrent basis. Endoscopic injection or cautery can be used to treat bleeding sites throughout the lower intestinal tract. Endoscopic techniques do not always control bleeding. Sometimes angiography may be used. However, surgery is often needed to control active, severe, or recurrent bleeding when endoscopy is not successful. From:Digestive Diseases Clearinghouse Dr. Abd Hamid Mat Sain AM(MAL), MBBS(Adelaide, Aust.), MS(UKM) FRCS(Edinburgh,UK), FICS (USA) Consultant Surgeon ColumbiaAsia Medical Centre 292 Jalan Haruan 2,Oakland Commercial Centre 70300 Seremban,Negeri Sembilan Malaysia Ph :+606-6011988 Fax:+606-6011848 Mobile:+6012-2071913 Email :[EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/TXWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of Hidayahnet unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from Hidayahnet, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest". Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hidayahnet/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
