$Unique_ID{BRK00180} $Pretitle{} $Title{What is a "Gut Bleed"?} $Subject{gut bleed bleeding endoscopies Digestive System esophagus stomach intestine intestines colon rectum anus occult bowel bowels hemorrhoids polyps fatigue lethargy breath shortness anemic pallor blood bloody tarry stool stools vomitus endoscopy anemia} $Volume{I-12} $Log{ Bleeding Ulcers can Cause Anemia*0009205.scf External and Internal Hemorrhoids*0004202.scf Anatomy of the Gastrointestinal System*0003701.scf Anatomy of the Intestine*0004701.scf Anatomy of the Small and Large Intestines*0004702.scf} Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc. What is a "Gut Bleed"? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ QUESTION: The circumstances are too long to tell, but we are faced with a terrible anxiety about a condition called "Gut Bleed". It sounds horrible to us, but none of our friends have heard of this condition, but all agree that when something is bleeding, it has to be serious. Can you offer us some answers? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ANSWER: I would have been very interested to know the origin of the expression causing you so much worry. It sounds like something a resident physician might say, and be overheard by a concerned member of the family. It translates as "bleeding in the digestive tract" and as such can mean many things. To start with it is a symptom that something wrong is going on, and not a specific disease in itself. The bleeding can originate anywhere in the digestive system, from the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestines (colon), to the rectum and anus. It can be difficult to detect and remain hidden (occult), to large amounts of visible red blood seen in the bowel after a bowel movement. The conditions can range from minor, such as hemorrhoids, which is probably the most common cause of bleeding from the digestive tract, to very serious conditions, such as cancer of the colon or rectum. Benign conditions like polyps of the colon can cause bleeding, as well an inflammations resulting from a variety of causes. Of considerable importance in understanding the seriousness of the condition is to know whether the situation is acute or chronic. Many times there are no associated symptoms, but acute bleeding brings with it weakness, dizziness and fainting and can be accompanied by crampy abdominal pain. Chronic bleeding may provoke fatigue and lethargy, shortness of breath and the pallor of an anemic individual. A gut bleed (I hate the term) can be recognized by bright red blood coating the stool, dark blood mixed with stool, a black or "tarry" looking stool, vomitus containing bright red blood, or vomitus that may resemble coffee grounds. Obviously treatment will depend upon the cause of the bleeding, but none of these situations can be ignored and medical evaluation is a must, and as promptly as possible. Although there are many techniques to discover the origin and cause, endoscopy is becoming the most popular diagnostic procedure. Using a flexible, telescope-like instrument, the physician can actually see the location of the problem, take tissue biopsies when indicated, and take color pictures of the bleeding site, for later study and reference. There are many treatments available, depending upon location, severity and cause, and they range all way from medications that can be taken by mouth to emergency surgery to stem the loss of blood. The first treatment will be dedicated to stabilizing a patient, putting things back in order so that treatment may get off on the right foot, and be directed at correcting the causes of the problem, rather than merely dealing with consequences. And results of all these treatments are generally good, even when the original condition has been quite serious and life threatening. Your question really requires a textbook chapter to answer fully, but at least, for now, you have some basic understanding of the scope of the problem. And perhaps we have all learned from your disquiet, that words overheard across a hospital waiting room do not make for the real understanding and information necessary to cope with the anxiety that illness brings with it in its wake. ---------------- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.