Treatment for GI Bleeding

How do doctors treat GI bleeding?

Treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding depends on the cause and location of your bleeding.

Treatment during a diagnostic procedure

During an upper GI endoscopy, a lower GI endoscopy, a colonoscopy, a flexible sigmoidoscopy, or a laparotomy, a doctor can stop the bleeding in your GI tract. He or she can stop the bleeding by inserting tools through an endoscope, colonoscope, or sigmoidoscope to

• inject medicines into the bleeding site
• treat the bleeding site and surrounding tissue with a heat probe, an electric current, or a laser
• close affected blood vessels with a band or clip

During an angiogram, a radiologist can inject medicines or other materials into blood vessels to stop some types of bleeding.

Learn more about the procedures doctors use to diagnose GI bleeding.

Medicines

When infections or ulcers cause bleeding in your GI tract, health care professionals prescribe medicines to treat the problem.

Surgery

When a person has severe acute bleeding or bleeding that does not stop, a surgeon may need to perform a laparoscopy or a laparotomy to stop the bleeding.

How can I prevent GI bleeding?

Doctors can prevent GI bleeding by treating the conditions that cause the bleeding. You can prevent some of the causes of bleeding in your GI tract by

• limiting the amount of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) you take or by talking with your health care professional about other medicine options
• following your doctor’s recommendations for treatment of gastroesophageal reflux (GER)