What should you know about stomach ache and vomiting blood?

Blood in vomit may look bright red, dark red, or like coffee grounds. It can come from bleeding in the upper digestive tract, including irritation, an ulcer, a tear after forceful vomiting, or a problem affecting the oesophagus or stomach. Oesophageal Cancer can present with vomiting blood, and Stomach Cancer can present with vomiting blood, but this symptom has many non-cancer causes. The amount of blood is difficult to judge at home.

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 anti-inflammatory pain medicines unless a clinician tells you otherwise. Keep a list of medicines, including blood thinners, and note the colour and approximate amount of blood. A clinician may check circulation, blood tests, and the digestive tract to locate and treat bleeding.

Treat this as urgent even if the bleeding has stopped. Emergency warning signs include fainting, marked weakness, confusion, pale or clammy skin, fast breathing, black stools, severe or worsening pain, or inability to keep fluids down. Do not wait for a routine appointment or assume that coffee-ground material is harmless.

Ask where the bleeding may have started, which medicines could worsen it, whether an endoscopy or scan is needed, and how to recognise recurrence. Tell the team about previous ulcers, liver disease, alcohol use, recent vomiting, and any treatment for Oesophageal Cancer or Stomach Cancer.