How Is Bleeding in the Digestive Tract Recognized?
The signs of bleeding in the digestive tract depend on the site and severity of bleeding. If blood is coming from the rectum or the lower colon, bright red blood will coat or mix with your stool. The stool may be mixed with darker blood if the bleeding is higher up in the colon or at the far end of the small intestine. When there is bleeding in the esophagus, stomach or duodenum, the stool is usually black or tarry. Vomit may be bright red or have a “coffee-grounds” appearance when bleeding is from the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum. If bleeding is occult, or hidden, you might not notice any changes in stool color. If sudden massive bleeding occurs, a person may feel weak, dizzy, faint, short of breath, or have cramp-like abdominal pain or diarrhea. Shock may occur, with a rapid pulse and drop in blood pressure. You may become very pale. If bleeding is slow and occurs over a long period of time, a gradual onset of fatigue, lethargy, shortness of breath, and pallor (or paleness of the
