Symptoms
In most cases, the first symptoms of gastric bleeding occur with some delay to the bleeding process. It also depends on whether the blood is vomited (in the case of massive gastric bleeding) or whether it slowly seeps down through the intestines and is then excreted with the bowel movement. In this case one speaks of so-called tar stools, because the stool mixed with blood has a black, silvery shimmer and resembles a tar surface on the street.
If it is a massive bleeding of the stomach, the patient usually vomits blood. The mixing of blood and gastric juice leads to an appearance similar to coffee grounds (vomiting coffee grounds, vomiting blood). In a few cases, gastric bleeding is accompanied by severe pain.
Depending on the extent of the blood loss, the blood count shows characteristic signs more or less quickly. For example, the so-called Hb value in the blood decreases with increasing blood loss. If the blood loss is very severe, the patient may find himself in a life-threatening situation and even in shock.
In this case, if the blood loss is less severe, in the sense of a week-long seeping bleeding, the patient would remain stable from his general condition, but the anemia would quickly lead to a chronic fatigue condition. In addition, there would be a drop in performance.
- General condition of the patient deteriorates considerably, the
- Pulse increase and the
- Lower blood pressure.
Indications
The stomach bleeding itself has no specific signs. Common triggers for gastric bleeding are ulcers in the stomach and duodenum and inflammation of the esophagus. Ulcers often manifest themselves as pain in the upper abdomen and loss of appetite, inflammation of the esophagus due to heartburn, burning behind the breastbone and similar complaints.
If such complaints occur frequently, it is advisable to consult a doctor. If necessary, this doctor can arrange for a referral to a specialist for diseases of the digestive tract (gastroenterologist) for further diagnosis. If an ulcer is detected in time, appropriate therapy can be initiated and the risk of gastric bleeding significantly reduced. In the case of vomiting of coffee grounds or fresh-blooded vomiting, a doctor should be consulted quickly. These are indications of bleeding in the area of the stomach.
