Overview

Causes of bleeding in the stomach and intestines (digestive or gastrointestinal tract) include:

• Esophagitis. This is irritation or inflammation of the esophagus (the tube that connects the throat to the stomach).
• Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Opens dialog. Examples are aspirin and ibuprofen. These medicines can irritate the stomach lining and cause an ulcer, Opens dialog, such as a peptic ulcer.
• Infections, such as from parasites or from the bacteria Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).
• Inflammatory bowel disease, Opens dialog.
• Colon polyps, Opens dialog or colorectal cancer, Opens dialog, especially in older adults. It is important to find and treat these as early as possible. Without treatment, they may be life-threatening.
• Frequently occurring hemorrhoids, Opens dialog. People with hemorrhoids often don't seek treatment right away. They can have chronic bleeding as a result.