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GI bleeding: the signs, when to call 911, finding the cause, and treatment
For anyone who has seen black stool, blood in the stool or the toilet, or blood in their vomit; anyone told a test found blood in their stool; and anyone home after a bleed, or caring for someone who is. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, part of the NIH) says gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is any bleeding that starts in the digestive tract; that it is a symptom of another disease or condition, not a disease of its own; and that it leads to more than 1.5 million health care visits a year in the United States. This page passes on, by name, what NIDDK says: the signs and when it is an emergency, the types and the causes, the tests, how doctors stop the bleeding, and how to lower the chance of another bleed. It builds the words to say to a doctor, and prints a card to keep.
A word with a dotted line under it, like this, opens its official definition, quoted from a U.S. government glossary.
Right now
- Vomiting blood or what looks like coffee grounds, a lot of blood from your rectum, or any blood with fainting, dizziness, confusion, a racing heart, or cold, pale, sweaty skin: call 911 (ours). Do not drive yourself. NIDDK says severe GI bleeding can lead to shock, which is life-threatening.
- Black or tarry stool, or blood mixed in your stool, with none of those signs? Get medical help today: call your doctor now, and if you cannot reach them, go to urgent care or the emergency room (ours). NIDDK says to seek medical help right away.
- A little bright red blood that stopped? Still tell a doctor, and do not assume it is hemorrhoids (ours).
More help
- Causes, on this site: Peptic ulcers · Heartburn and acid reflux · Diverticulitis · Crohn’s disease · Hepatitis · Cirrhosis · An upset stomach: find the right page.
- Lowering the risk: When drinking or drugs are a problem · When you want to quit smoking · My medicines list.
- Care and costs: When you need a doctor and can’t pay · Symptom diary · Get ready for your appointment · When someone is bleeding from a wound.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
An upset stomach, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for throwing up, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 16, 2026 on NIDDK’s Gastrointestinal (GI) Bleeding pages (NIH): the overview, Definition & Facts, Symptoms & Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and Eating, Diet, & Nutrition (last reviewed July 2024). Ours: calling 911 for vomiting blood or what looks like coffee grounds, a lot of blood from the rectum, or blood with fainting, dizziness, confusion, a racing heart, or cold, pale, sweaty skin, and not driving yourself; getting medical help the same day for black stool or blood mixed in the stool; telling a doctor about a little bright red blood even if it stops; following up a stool test that finds blood; that aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen are NSAIDs, and not stopping or changing a prescribed blood thinner or aspirin on your own; the questions to ask before going home; free help with drinking and smoking; health centers and hospital financial assistance when money is tight; and the order of the steps. What we left out: brand names, the names and doses of blood thinners and other medicines, research studies, and clinical pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.