Gastrointestinal Bleeding

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Medical Author:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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Medical Author:

Bhupinder Anand, MD

• Gastrointestinal Bleeding Overview
• Gastrointestinal Bleeding Causes
• Gastrointestinal Bleeding Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Gastrointestinal Bleeding Diagnosis
• Gastrointestinal Bleeding Treatment
• Gastrointestinal Bleeding Self-Care at Home
• Gastrointestinal Bleeding Medical Treatment
• Gastrointestinal Bleeding Follow-up
• Gastrointestinal Bleeding Prevention
• Gastrointestinal Bleeding Prognosis
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Author and Editor
• Read more on Gastrointestinal Bleeding from Healthwise
• Viewer Comments: Gastrointestinal Bleeding - Causes

The causes of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding are classified into upper or lower, depending on their location in the GI tract.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding: Upper GI bleeding originates in the first part of the GI tract-the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum (first part of the small intestine). Most often, upper GI bleeding is caused by one of the following:

• Peptic ulcers
• Gastritis
• Esophageal varices
• Mallory-Weiss tears
• Gastrointestinal cancers
• Inflammation of the gastrointestinal lining from ingested materials

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding: Lower GI bleeding originates in the portions of the GI tract further down the digestive system-such as parts of the small intestine beyond the duodenum, large intestine, rectum, and anus. The most common causes of lower GI bleeding include:

• Diverticular disease
• Gastrointestinal cancers
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Infectious diarrhea
• Angiodysplasia
• Polyps
• Hemorrhoids and anal fissures

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