Vomiting blood, or hematemesis, can be caused by bleeding ulcers, tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, or injury from vomiting. It can also occur due to a nosebleed or coughing up blood.
When a person vomits blood, they regurgitate blood from their gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes vomiting blood, also called hematemesis, can occur in connection with a minor medical condition, or it can be an indication of a serious illness or disease. Among the most common causes of blood vomiting are bleeding ulcers, swallowed blood or tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes, however, a person may see blood in their vomit because they have vomited so hard or for such a long time that blood vessels in the esophagus or throat have torn and bleed. Also, some people may cough up blood from their mouth and assume they have vomited blood.
Bleeding ulcers are among the most common conditions that cause blood in the vomit. For example, a person may develop a hole, called an ulcer, in part of their digestive system. If the hole eventually gets bigger and starts damaging blood vessels, it may be called a bleeding ulcer. Similarly, an ulcer can grow in a way that causes a hole to form in a person’s intestines or in both their intestines and an organ. Both of these conditions can cause a person to vomit blood.
Tumors of the digestive system can sometimes cause a person to vomit blood. For example, an individual may develop a tumor in the lining of their esophagus, which can cause blood to be present in the vomit. These tumors can be benign, which means non-cancerous, or malignant, which means cancerous. Whether or not a tumor is cancerous, however, can sometimes cause a patient to see blood in their vomit. Similarly, a person who has a benign or malignant stomach tumor may also vomit blood.
In some cases, blood in the vomit is not related to a disease or condition of the digestive tract. Instead, it can occur due to something as simple as a nosebleed. When a person has a nosebleed, some of the blood may drip down their throat and into their stomach. This can make some people feel nauseous and vomit blood. Some people may also cough up blood for reasons unrelated to the digestive tract and assume they vomited it up instead of coughing it up.
A person may also see blood in their vomit due to injury from vomiting. For example, a person who vomits violently or for a long time may tear blood vessels in the throat and see blood in the vomit. Usually, the blood is present in streaks rather than large pools. Some people may also cough up blood for reasons unrelated to the digestive tract and assume they vomited it up instead of coughing it up.
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