Vomiting blood

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Vomiting blood is a regurgitation of blood from the upper gastrointestinal tract, which includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus (the feeding tube that transmits food and secretions from mouth to stomach), stomach, and small intestine.

Hematemesis; Blood in the vomit

Vomiting of blood results after there is upper gastrointestinal bleeding. This condition can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from coughing up blood (from the lung) or a nosebleed (bloody post-nasal drainage).

Conditions that cause blood to be vomited can also cause blood in the stool.

• Prolonged and vigorous retching (may cause a tear in the small blood vessels of the throat or the esophagus, producing streaks of blood in the vomit)
• Bleeding ulcer located in the stomach, duodenum, or esophagus
• Irritation or erosion of the lining of the esophagus or stomach
• Bleeding esophageal varices
• Vascular malformations of the GI tract
• Tumors of the stomach or esophagus
• Esophagitis
• Gastritis
• Ingested blood (for example, swallowed after a nosebleed)
• Gastroenteritis

Review Date: 01/23/2006
Reviewed By: Jenifer K. Lehrer, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Frankford-Torresdale Hospital, Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.