Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Gastrointestinal Bleeding or GI bleeding refers to bleeding from any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth and esophagus to the stomach or intestines.
Gastrointestinal bleeding can occur due to infection or medications that damage tissues leading to bleeding. GI bleeding needs to be monitored carefully and attended to. Upper Gastrointestinal bleeding can result from gastritis or peptic ulcers. Lower GI bleeding is often due to diverticulitis, polyps, anal fissures or hemorrhoids.
Acute GI bleeding manifests in bloody bowel movements and vomiting of blood. There is fatigue and weakness. The patient suffering GI bleeding may suffer pain in the abdomen. A person suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding experience thirst, low blood pressure and dizziness. The patient may notice black tarry stools.
Laboratory tests, endoscopy and rectal examinations may be needed to determine the source of the gastrointestinal bleeding. Excessive bleeding can lead to anemia. In severe cases, it can lead to shock and may need hospitalization for further treatment. There might be need for blood transfusion. Upper GI bleeding can be treated with injection of chemicals. Medicines are then prescribed to prevent the bleeding from recurring. If polyps or hemorrhoids are the cause for gastrointestinal bleeding, they are surgically removed.
BUN blood test
Healthy kidneys filter urea nitrogen through the urine. The BUN blood test measures the urea nitrogen levels in your blood as an indicator of the efficiency of the kidneys. BUN - Blood Urea Nitrogen blood test indicates the functioning of the kidneys. The BUN concentration is measured by analysis of serum or plasma. It is also done to check for efficiency of dialysis. BUN blood test measures the levels of urea nitrogen in the blood. BUN blood test results can be compared with creatinine test to check for dehydration. BUN - creatinine ratio can throw light on kidney functioning.
BUN blood test levels
Normal BUN blood levels are 7 - 20 mg/dl. Abnormal levels of BUN are usually indicative of renal failure or bleeding into the stomach or intestines. High levels of BUN in the blood can mean congestive heart failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, urinary tract obstruction or myocardial infarction. BUN blood levels are noticed to be higher in diabetics. This is due to accumulated stress on the kidneys over years. This leads to kidney failure and dysfunction. Acute dehydration raised BUN blood levels due to inadequate level of fluids in the body. Lower levels of BUN in the blood may suggest malnutrition or liver failure. Some women notice decrease in BUN level in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Hemorrhage
Hemorrhage refers to loss of blood from a person. Internal Hemorrhage happens when blood vessels rupture and lead to blood leakage. External Hemorrhage is a situation where a person loses copious amount of blood externally. This can happen from a natural body orifice or through a cut in the skin.
Hemorrhage locations
Hematuria: Loss of blood in the urine.
Hematemesis: Loss of blood in vomit.
Brain hemorrhage: Bleeding in the skull, brain tissue or rupture within the blood vessels in the head.
Gynecological hemorrhage: Bleeding through the vagina or ovaries.
A person can also experience upper gastrointestinal bleeding, pulmonary hemorrhage or rectal hemorrhage. Hemorrhage can occur due to high blood pressure, blood clotting disorders, uncontrolled diabetes or leukemia.
Bibliography / Reference
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