Overview

Gastrointestinal bleeding is when there is blood loss from any of the several organs included in your digestive system. It can occur from any part of the GI tract that runs from your mouth to your anus.

Upper GI bleeds stem from issues with your:

  • Esophagus.
  • Stomach.
  • Duodenum (first part of your small intestine).

Small Bowel bleeds stem from issues with your:

  • Jejunum (middle part of your small intestine).
  • Ileum (the last section of your small intestine).

Lower GI bleeds stem from issues with your:

  • Colon.
  • Rectum.
  • Anus.

What are the types of GI bleeds?

  • Acute: Sudden, severe bleeding that’s a sign of a medical emergency.
  • Chronic: Bleeding that comes and goes over a long time.
  • Occult: Bleeding is not visible as it is microscopic, but you can see signs of GI blood loss (such as low blood counts) on laboratory testing.
  • Overt: Visible signs of a GI bleed, including abnormal colors or substances in your feces (poop). You may also vomit blood.
  • Obscure: When standard endoscopy testing does not reveal a source of GI bleeding.
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