What should you know about green vomit with blood?

Green vomit often contains bile, which can appear when the stomach is empty or when material moves back from the small intestine. Blood may look bright red, dark brown, or like coffee grounds after contact with stomach acid. Causes range from irritation or a tear after forceful vomiting to an ulcer, blockage, or bleeding linked with disease in the oesophagus or stomach. The appearance cannot show how much blood has been lost.

Call emergency services or go to an emergency department now, especially if the bleeding is ongoing. Do not drive yourself if you feel faint. Avoid food, alcohol, and medicines such as aspirin or ibuprofen unless a clinician tells you otherwise. Keep a photograph or sample description if safe, and take your medicine list. Do not wait to see whether the colour settles.

Treat faintness, confusion, clammy skin, a rapid heartbeat, severe abdominal or chest pain, black stools, or difficulty breathing as an emergency. Even a small-looking amount of blood needs prompt assessment when it appears in vomit. Emergency clinicians may check circulation, blood tests, and the digestive tract to find and control the source.

Ask what caused the bleeding, which medicines to avoid or restart, and what symptoms should send you back immediately. If you have ongoing digestive symptoms, your clinician may discuss conditions such as Oesophageal Cancer or Stomach Cancer without assuming either is the cause.