Throwing Up Blood

About the Symptom

Vomiting blood is a condition where blood is expelled from the mouth. The blood can be bright red, black, or dark brown. It is also called hematemesis.

When to See a Doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

• Vomited blood

Possible Causes

Generally, Throwing up blood can be related to:

• Pyloric Stenosis

  Abnormal narrowing of the stomach exit. It affects babies between birth and 6 months of age and causes forceful, projectile vomiting that can lead to dehydration. Risk factors include male gender, preterm birth, and smoking during pregnancy.

• Anemia

  Anemia is a disorder where the body's tissues don't receive enough oxygen due to a lack of healthy red blood cells. There are several types of anemia with various causes, the most common being iron-deficiency anemia, which results from insufficient iron. Iron is needed to produce hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that helps carry oxygen.

• Essential Thrombocythemia

  Essential thrombocythemia is a rare disorder where the body produces too many platelets, which are blood cells that stick together to form clots. It may be caused by several acquired gene mutations, which are not inherited.

• Acquired Hemophilia
• Portal Hypertension
• Gastric Cancer

Related Serious Diseases

Sometimes, Throwing up blood may be related to these serious diseases:

• Mallory-Weiss Syndrome

  A condition where repeated vomiting or retching causes a tear in the lower end of the esophagus tissue (also called a Mallory-Weiss tear).

• Esophageal Varices Rupture
• Idiopathic Esophageal Rupture
• Leukemia

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

• Have you vomited blood?
• When did you first notice vomiting blood?
• When experiencing vomiting blood, how much blood do you typically expel?
• Is there blood in your vomit after repeated throwing up?
• Did you vomit blood after drinking a lot of alcohol?

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