It is gastrointestinal bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, commonly defined as bleeding arising from the oesophagus, stomach, or duodenum. Blood is often observed in vomit (hematemesis) or in the stool (melena). Upper gastrointestinal bleeding denotes a medical emergency and typically requires hospital care for primary diagnosis and treatment. The incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding is 50-150 individuals per 100,000 annually. Depending on its severity, it carries an estimated mortality risk of 11%.

The causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding are as follows:

Oesophagal causes (gastrorrhagia):

Oesophagal varices
Esophagitis
Oesophagal cancer
Oesophagal ulcers
Mallory-Weiss tear
Gastric causes: 

Gastric ulcer
Gastric cancer
Gastritis
Gastric varices
Gastric antral vascular ectasia
Dieulafoy's lesions

Duodenal causes
Duodenal ulcer
Vascular malformation, including aorto-enteric fistulae
Hematobilia or bleeding from the biliary tree
Hemosuccus pancreaticus or bleeding from the pancreatic duct
Severe superior mesenteric artery syndrome
The signs and symptoms of upper gastrointestinal bleeding are as follows:

Hematemesis - Vomiting of blood
Melena - Blood in the stool
Hematochezia - Passage of fresh blood through the anus, usually in or with stools
Syncope - Loss of consciousness (fainting)
Presyncope - State of lightheadedness, muscular weakness, blurred vision, and feeling faint
Dyspepsia   IndigestionEpigastric painHeartburnDiffuse abdominal pain
Dysphagia - Difficulty in swallowing. Weight lossJaundice - Yellow discolouration of the skin, mucous membranes, and sclera
The diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding is made when hematemesis is present. In the absence of hematemesis, an upper source of GI bleeding is likely in the presence of at least two factors among - Black stool, age < 50 years or blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio 30 or more

If these findings are absent, consider a nasogastric aspirate to determine the source of bleeding. If the aspirate is positive, an upper GI bleed is greater than 50%, but not high enough to be certain. If the aspirate is negative, the source of a GI bleed is likely lower. The accuracy of the aspirate is improved by using the Gastroccult test. Also, the following diagnostic tests are done:

Orthostatic blood pressure
Complete blood count with differential counts
Hemoglobin level
Type and crossmatch blood
Basic metabolic profile, BUN,
Coagulation profile
Serum calcium
Serum gastrin
Endoscopy
Chest radiography
Nasogastric lavageAngiography (if bleeding persists and endoscopy fails to identify a bleeding site)
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding can be managed in the following ways:

Airway management and fluid resuscitation using either intravenous fluids and or blood
Medications to stop the bleeding (Proton-pump inhibitors are often given in the emergency)
Surgical intervention
Treating the consequences (like anaemia) that the bleeding may have caused
Precautions are taken to prevent re-bleeding

What Are The Reasons Behind Ulcer?

There may be times when we get completely drained and fatigued and may feel like our insides could jump out because of the pain that we have in our stomachs. We may dismiss the issue as unimportant or due to a stressful day at work, and may think the stomach pain could be because of the extra spicy food we love to have every once in a while. However, a lot of people may tend to ignore this symptom and that is when stomach ache may turn out to be actually because of a peptic ulcer.

Peptic ulcer or stomach ulcer is a common occurrence and happens to a lot of people; however, it must be understood that not treating the problem in time may be troublesome in the long run and increase the recovery time. In order to be able to identify the peptic ulcers and to take the right treatment measures, it may be important for you to understand the problem and know how it is caused, and how it may be treated.

What causes peptic ulcers?
A peptic ulcer is diagnosed as inflammatory sores on the lining of the stomach or the food pipe, which transfers food to the stomach or even in the intestine. There are a number of factors that can cause inflammatory sores in the stomach region. The factors are as follows:

    The use of medicines that are meant to be painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs. The acid levels of the stomach and the food pipe may get disturbed because of these medicines and may give rise to ulcers.
    In a lot of cases, the ulcers may also take place because of the presence of a tumour or a gastrinoma in the stomach that imbalance the levels of acid in the stomach.
    High alcohol consumption may also lead to the formation of sores on the stomach lining.
    Using tobacco or smoking are some other factors that contribute to the acid imbalance in the stomach.
    In the case of some serious illnesses, a lot of people may fall prey to peptic ulcers.
    Those who may have undergone radiation treatment around the stomach may also experience ulcers.

Though it may be known that excessive pain in the abdominal region may be due to stomach ulcers, it is important to understand that it happens due to bacterial infections, and when there is a bacterial infection in the body, you may have to undergo proper treatment. The treatment for this problem includes the use of medications as suggested by a qualified doctor, surgery in some severe cases, and most importantly lifestyle changes.

Peptic Ulcer - 6 Reasons Behind it

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory condition whereby, tiny abscesses and ulcers are formed on the inner lining of the large intestine, or on the colon or rectum. These ulcers may burst frequently resulting in diarrhea and bloody stools. This disease may also be responsible for causing anemia as well as harsh abdominal pain.

Ulcerative colitis normally alternate periodically from flaring up to receding quickly. These periods of remission can either last for weeks or maybe, even for years at a stretch. They are, however, not permanent and although the disease may seem to have disappeared completely, it can soon show up again in no time. Usually beginning in the rectum, it can, by and by, spread rapidly to other parts of the colon. If it is, however, limited only to the rectum, then it is more commonly referred to as ulcerative proctitis.

Surgery is generally obligatory and mandatory when it comes to treating ulcerative colitis. If surgery is not performed, you may suffer from long-lasting side effects, including cancer and colon rupture. Here are the different types of surgery that you may undergo:

1. Colectomy: This is done when the entire colon needs to be removed and is usually performed to eliminate the perils of acquiring colon cancer.

2. Proctocolectomy: This concerns the total removal of both colon and rectum and is usually the standard procedure when dealing with ulcerative colitis.

3. Ileal Pouch Anal Anastomosis: If the treatment does not require a permanent stoma, and if you can still manage to let out stool from your anus, then this surgery, also called restorative proctocolectomy would be most appropriate.

Here, both colon and rectum are removed, but at the same time, the small intestine is utilized to form an internal reservoir, called a J-pouch, which is linked to the anus and can hereafter serve as your new rectum.

Types Of Ulcerative Colitis Surgery

A peptic ulcer is usually found in the duodenum, or the first part of the small intestine. These ulcers can also be found in the delicate stomach lining near this region. These are usually painful sores that are caused due to too much acid production in the stomach, as well as excessive smoking and alcohol consumption. The symptoms generally include heartburn, bloating, nausea, vomiting, and even blood discharge in stool and vomiting. So how can you treat these ulcers? Here's a short list of ways to do so.

- Medication: The most common way of treating peptic ulcers is to ingest proton pump inhibitors which can be prescribed by a general physician. These medicines will effectively stop the production of acid and reflux in the gastroesophageal band, so as to prevent the growth and production of such ulcers. Antibiotics can also help, especially in severe cases where there is a risk of infection due to the presence of these ulcers.

- Upper Endoscopy and Surgery: For severe cases where there is bleeding in the peptic ulcers, an upper endoscopy may also be conducted. This quick procedure can give relief from the bleeding. Also, many specialists might recommend surgery so as to treat an ulcer that has punched a hole in the stomach's wall, in which case the persistent bleeding cannot be stemmed even with an upper endoscopy.

- Lifestyle Choices: The presence of a peptic ulcer usually points to tobacco and alcohol abuse. If you happen to be over 50 years of age and are busy drinking copious amounts of alcohol every day and even chain smoking, then you may be at risk. It is best to stop such abuse by giving up smoking and drinking so as to ensure that the peptic ulcer can be treated and does not become a fatality. Also, drinking plenty of water and eating a proper balanced diet along with exercise are some of the best ways of treating these ulcers.

- Side Effects: Peptic ulcers may also arise as a side effect of having pain killers too frequently. So it is important to stay away from medication that gives rise to this kind of reaction in the body.

Managing and treating peptic ulcers is a matter of getting the right tests done for diagnosis before discussing further medication or surgery based treatment for the ulcer so that it does not pose any grave danger to the patient's body.

Coping with Peptic Ulcers

This is a disease that affects the large intestine and the rectum. The Ulcerative Colitis refers to the inflammation in the innermost lining of the large intestine. The main function of the large intestine is to absorb water from indigestible food matter in the body before throwing away any waste. Hence, the large intestine is a vital part of our body. If left untreated, the disease increases risk of colon cancer.

Symptoms:

    Diarrhea with blood or pus: A person suffering from Ulcerative Colitis is likely to suffer from loose stools accompanied with blood or pus.
    Stomach pain and Cramping: In many cases, patients complain of severe stomach pain and cramping.
    Rectal pain: At times, many patients feel pain while sitting or even after a bowel movement.
    Bleeding from the rectum: Bleeding can be observed while passing stools.

The other complications leading to this disease are kidney stones, swelling of the colon, thickening of intestinal walls and blood infection.

Diagnosis:
This disease can be diagnosed by several methods. A simple stool test may be done to check out for bacteria and parasites. A blood test to check the level of C-reactive protein helps determine the inflation rate of the body. Endoscopy, colonoscopy, biopsy are some other methods of diagnosis.

Treatment

    Oral medication: Treatment involves drug therapy or surgery. The first step in treating Ulcerative Colitis will be an intake of anti-inflammatory drugs, but these may have a side effect. Another option is immune system suppressors, which help to bring down the inflammation by suppressing the immune system response. Antibiotics, anti-diarrheal medications, pain relievers are some of the additional drug supplements recommended by doctors.
    Surgery: Surgery plays an important role because this disease is pre-malignant in nature. Depending on the severity of the condition, the medical practitioner may advice surgery. The common methods of surgery are:
        Proctocolectomy and Ileostomy: Proctocolectomy involves removal of the colon in part or whole. Ileostomy is carried out by placing a special bag in the small intestine to collect waste from the body.
        Proctocolectomy and Ileo-anal: Ileo-anal pouch is a bag directly created the small intestine and connected to the anus, for diffusing the stools. As colon is removed Ulcerative Colitis cannot re-occur.

Precautions after surgery
It is very important that the patient takes healthy, sufficient and nutritious food so that bowel movement can be carried out with ease and zero strain. The patient has to restrict lifting of heavy grocery, mowing the lawn, any physical activity that can strain the abdomen and related areas.

Surgery and Post Surgery Care for Ulcerative Colitis

There are many different Ayurvedic medicines used in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, and one of the most common ways of treatment is to use a combination of the four best medicines, which work in unison to get rid of the disease.

Kutazghan vati: This medicine is derived from the tree Kutaz. Its scientific name is Halorrhreana anti dysentrica. The name itself suggests how effective the tree is in treating the disease. Diarrhea can occur due to many reasons, and one of the reasons is ulcerative colitis. If diarrhea is due to this, then it can get treated by taking Kutazghan Vati tablets, which are made from the bark of the tree.
Pitta balance with calcium compounds: When pitta or the gastric juices flow more inside the intestines, it leads to bleeding due to the ulcers inside, which needs to be balanced and controlled. The use of calcium compound rich Ayurvedic medicines serve the perfect remedy. Calcium is extracted from naturally occurring things like pearls and corals. When the tablets made from such calcium compounds are consumed, the inflammation within the colon goes down, bleeding reduces and gradually stops, and the internal irritation diminishes.
Vatsakadi churna: Tablets made from elements like fennel, coriander, Aegle Marmelos, Nutmeg, pomegranate, Green Cardamom, work like magic in treating ulcerative colitis. These are all ulcer healing items, proven beneficial for ages, and cure fast. The main function of a combination of these herbs is in restoring the metabolic imbalance carried on in the body. The ulcers are healed soon with their use, and the body balance is restored.
Arjuna capsules: One of the wound healing barks, really very famous in Ayurveda, is the bark of the Arjuna (Terminalia Arjuna) tree. This helps in many ways to heal wounds, and specially the endothelial layer inside the body arteries are healed from injuries related to free radicals, stress and other toxins. The same effects of the Arjuna tablets are seen inside the inner layers of the intestines. The ulcers are cleaned with time with the consumption of these tablets, while the bleeding also stops, and the diarrhea which was due to the inflamed colon gets cured. Moreover, the hemoglobin level is also normalized in the body, which was once affected due to bloody diarrhea.
Ulcerative colitis is a painful situation, but can be healed totally with proper administration of Ayurvedic medicines. These 4 essential medicines must be taken in combination without suddenly stopping them. They must be continued until the symptoms and irritation go away.

Ayurvedic Treatment For Ulcerative Colitis!

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