Why does blood vomiting (haematemesis) occur?

Blood vomiting (haematemesis) can be a sign of a serious health issue and requires immediate medical assistance.

If you vomit blood, the problem could be somewhere in your oesophagus, stomach, or the first part of your intestine (duodenum). The amount and quantity of blood in the vomitus may vary in different conditions and in different individuals.

The most common causes of blood vomiting are:

• Gastritis – Inflammation of the lining of the stomach
• Peptic ulcers – ulcers developed in the lining of the stomach or duodenum may result in bleeding in later stages.
• Oesophageal varices – Some of the enlarged veins on the walls of the lower part of oesophagus may also result in bleeding
• GERD – One of the reasons for blood vomiting could be gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. This occurs when the acid from the stomach enters oesophagus and causes bleeding.

Some of the less common reasons for blood vomiting could be:

• Stomach cancer
• Oesophageal cancer
• Swallowing corrosive poisons
• Blood conditions like leukaemia, haemophilia, thrombocytopenia.