Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is It?SymptomsWhen to See a ProviderCausesDiagnosisTreatment OptionsWho Is at RiskPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is It?
Symptoms
When to See a Provider
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment Options
Who Is at Risk
Prevention
Bleeding in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can stem from several causes that affect any of the organs in the upper digestive system. An upper GI bleed is bleeding in the mouth, esophagus (food tube), stomach, or small intestine.
This article describes upper GI bleeds, including causes, treatment options, and when to seek out emergency medical care.
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What Is an Upper GI Bleed?
An upperGI bleedis bleeding from an organ in the upper digestive system, which includes the mouth,esophagus, stomach, andsmall intestine.
A GI bleed can be characterized as acute or chronic. Acute means that it starts suddenly and can be severe. Chronic means it’s less significant bleeding that continues long term and may be intermittent (meaning that it comes and goes). Upper GI bleeds are more common in men than they are in women.
A Note on Gender and Sex TerminologyVerywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To accurately reflect our sources, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
A Note on Gender and Sex Terminology
Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To accurately reflect our sources, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
Upper GI Bleed Symptoms
Symptoms may not be noted for some causes of an upper GI bleed. If there are symptoms, they could include:
Other symptoms may be noted based on the cause of the bleeding.
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
If you suspectbleedingin the upper digestive tract,seek care from a healthcare provider. Any blood in vomit or stool is a reason to make an appointment to be seen as soon as possible. Significant amounts of blood should be evaluated right away in a hospital emergency department.
Symptoms that could mean that the bleeding is serious include:
What Causes an Upper GI Bleed
Many conditions could cause a bleed in the upper digestive system. They vary in severity and treatment.
Peptic Ulcer
Apeptic ulceris a hole or a sore in the stomach or the first section of the small intestine (the duodenum).
A peptic ulcer may cause symptoms of:
Esophagitis
Esophagitisis an inflammation in theesophagus. Some of the reasons for esophagitis include allergies,hiatal hernia(the upper part of the stomach bulges through the diaphragm), medications, supplements, infections, or after receivingradiation therapy.
Esophagitis may cause symptoms such as:
Enteritis
Enteritis is when the small intestine is inflamed. Some causes include infection, certain medications (such as NSAIDs), radiation treatments, or a chronic condition (includingCrohn’s diseaseorceliac disease).
Enteritis may cause symptoms that include:
Mallory-Weiss Tears
Esophageal Varices
Esophageal varicesare swollen veins in the lower part of the esophagus. They are most often associated with scarring in the liver (cirrhosis), which causes a complication called portal hypertension. If one of these veins breaks open, it can cause bleeding that may be life-threatening.
Gastritis
Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining. The most common cause is anH. pyloriinfection. Gastritis may come on suddenly or become chronic.
Gastritis might not cause any symptoms. If there are symptoms, however, these can include:
Cancer
Tumors in the stomach, small intestine, or esophagus may also cause bleeding. These types of tumors could be benign (noncancerous) or they could be malignant (cancerous).
In some cases they might not cause any symptoms and are found when there is testing for another reason. Some types of cancer in the upper digestive system are related to the use of alcohol and tobacco.
How Is an Upper GI Bleed Diagnosed?
Some of the tests that may be used include:
Treatment for upper GI bleeding will depend on the cause. Once the cause is found, healthcare providers will come up with a treatment plan that may include:
Who’s at Risk for an Upper GI Bleed?
Risk factors for bleeding in the upper GI tract include:
Can an Upper GI Bleed Be Prevented?
It may not be possible to prevent all possible causes of upper GI bleeding. Managing any conditions that are affecting the mouth, esophagus, stomach, or small intestine will be an important part of avoiding the potential for bleeding.
Other lifestyle changes that may help reduce the potential causes of bleeding include limiting the use of NSAIDs, stopping smoking, drinking alcohol only in moderation or not at all, and working with a healthcare provider to treat any conditions of the digestive system.
Summary
Any sign or symptom of upper GI bleeding is a reason to contact a healthcare provider. If there are symptoms such as bleeding that won’t stop, fainting, dizziness, severe pain, or trouble breathing, seek care in a hospital emergency department.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gastrointestinal bleeding. July 2016.Ansari P.Gastrointestinal bleeding. Merck Manual Consumer Version. April 2023.Laine L, Barkun AN, Saltzman JR, Martel M, Leontiadis GI.ACG Clinical Guideline: upper gastrointestinal and ulcer bleeding.Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116:899-917. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001245National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Peptic ulcers (stomach or duodenal ulcers). September 2022.University of Michigan Health.Esophagitis. October 19, 2023.Yang XF, Zheng MY, An LY, et al.Quality evaluation of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of radiation enteritis.Radiat Oncol. 2023;18:14. doi:10.1186/s13014-023-02204-9Gotfried J.Overview of gastroenteritis. Merck Manual Professional Version. June 2023.Lynch KL.Mallory-Weiss syndrome. Merck Manual Professional Version. February 2024.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gastritis & gastropathy. August 2019.Villano A.Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Merck Manual Professional Version. October 2023.Tielleman T, Bujanda D, Cryer B.Epidemiology and risk factors for upper gastrointestinal bleeding.Gastrointest Endosc Clin N Am.2015;25:415-428. doi:10.1016/j.giec.2015.02.010
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gastrointestinal bleeding. July 2016.Ansari P.Gastrointestinal bleeding. Merck Manual Consumer Version. April 2023.Laine L, Barkun AN, Saltzman JR, Martel M, Leontiadis GI.ACG Clinical Guideline: upper gastrointestinal and ulcer bleeding.Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116:899-917. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001245National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Peptic ulcers (stomach or duodenal ulcers). September 2022.University of Michigan Health.Esophagitis. October 19, 2023.Yang XF, Zheng MY, An LY, et al.Quality evaluation of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of radiation enteritis.Radiat Oncol. 2023;18:14. doi:10.1186/s13014-023-02204-9Gotfried J.Overview of gastroenteritis. Merck Manual Professional Version. June 2023.Lynch KL.Mallory-Weiss syndrome. Merck Manual Professional Version. February 2024.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gastritis & gastropathy. August 2019.Villano A.Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Merck Manual Professional Version. October 2023.Tielleman T, Bujanda D, Cryer B.Epidemiology and risk factors for upper gastrointestinal bleeding.Gastrointest Endosc Clin N Am.2015;25:415-428. doi:10.1016/j.giec.2015.02.010
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gastrointestinal bleeding. July 2016.Ansari P.Gastrointestinal bleeding. Merck Manual Consumer Version. April 2023.Laine L, Barkun AN, Saltzman JR, Martel M, Leontiadis GI.ACG Clinical Guideline: upper gastrointestinal and ulcer bleeding.Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116:899-917. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001245National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Peptic ulcers (stomach or duodenal ulcers). September 2022.University of Michigan Health.Esophagitis. October 19, 2023.Yang XF, Zheng MY, An LY, et al.Quality evaluation of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of radiation enteritis.Radiat Oncol. 2023;18:14. doi:10.1186/s13014-023-02204-9Gotfried J.Overview of gastroenteritis. Merck Manual Professional Version. June 2023.Lynch KL.Mallory-Weiss syndrome. Merck Manual Professional Version. February 2024.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gastritis & gastropathy. August 2019.Villano A.Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Merck Manual Professional Version. October 2023.Tielleman T, Bujanda D, Cryer B.Epidemiology and risk factors for upper gastrointestinal bleeding.Gastrointest Endosc Clin N Am.2015;25:415-428. doi:10.1016/j.giec.2015.02.010
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gastrointestinal bleeding. July 2016.
Ansari P.Gastrointestinal bleeding. Merck Manual Consumer Version. April 2023.
Laine L, Barkun AN, Saltzman JR, Martel M, Leontiadis GI.ACG Clinical Guideline: upper gastrointestinal and ulcer bleeding.Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116:899-917. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001245
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Peptic ulcers (stomach or duodenal ulcers). September 2022.
University of Michigan Health.Esophagitis. October 19, 2023.
Yang XF, Zheng MY, An LY, et al.Quality evaluation of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of radiation enteritis.Radiat Oncol. 2023;18:14. doi:10.1186/s13014-023-02204-9
Gotfried J.Overview of gastroenteritis. Merck Manual Professional Version. June 2023.
Lynch KL.Mallory-Weiss syndrome. Merck Manual Professional Version. February 2024.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Gastritis & gastropathy. August 2019.
Villano A.Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Merck Manual Professional Version. October 2023.
Tielleman T, Bujanda D, Cryer B.Epidemiology and risk factors for upper gastrointestinal bleeding.Gastrointest Endosc Clin N Am.2015;25:415-428. doi:10.1016/j.giec.2015.02.010
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