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Depending on the amount of the blood loss, symptoms may include shock. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding can be caused by peptic ulcers, gastric erosions, esophageal varices, and rarer causes such as gastric cancer. The initial assessment includes measurement of the blood pressure and heart rate, as well as blood tests to determine the hemoglobin.
Esophagitis can be asymptomatic; or can cause epigastric and/or substernal burning pain, especially when lying down or straining; and can make swallowing difficult . The most common cause of esophagitis is the reverse flow of acid from the stomach into the lower esophagus: gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Causes of upper GI bleeds include: peptic ulcer disease, esophageal varices due to liver cirrhosis and cancer, among others. [3] Causes of lower GI bleeds include: hemorrhoids, cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease among others. [2] [1] Small amounts of bleeding may be detected by fecal occult blood test. [1]
The symptoms vary from the severity of the disorder. The most classic sign of AEN is the dark pigmentation of esophageal mucosa in an upper endoscopy, usually viewed as an ulcer or as an infectious disease. [6] Necrosis can be found mostly between the three distals of the esophagus, but stops abruptly at the gastroesophageal junction. [2]
Alarm symptoms include dysphagia, especially if progressive, or odynophagia, overt gastrointestinal bleeding, such as melena or hematemesis, persistent vomiting, unintentional weight loss, family history of gastric or esophageal cancer, palpable abdominal or epigastric mass or abdominal adenopathy, and signs of iron-deficiency anemia.
The disease may cause different symptoms and be caused by different processes in childhood as compared to adulthood. Some studies have shown that it is associated with either other medical conditions involving the esophagus, including gastroesophageal reflux disease and achalasia , or other inflammatory conditions such as Crohn's disease ...
Esophageal cancer is the eighth-most frequently-diagnosed cancer worldwide, [2] and because of its poor prognosis, it is the sixth most-common cause of cancer-related deaths. [55] It caused about 400,000 deaths in 2012, accounting for about 5% of all cancer deaths (about 456,000 new cases were diagnosed, representing about 3% of all cancers).
It is a long-term condition that results in inflammation and ulcers of the colon and rectum. [1] [7] The primary symptoms of active disease are abdominal pain and diarrhea mixed with blood (hematochezia). [1] Weight loss, fever, and anemia may also occur. [1] Often, symptoms come on slowly and can range from mild to severe. [1]