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Vomiting Blood During Pregnancy – What is Normal?

Vomiting during pregnancy is very common, but vomiting blood during pregnancy? Now, that can be scary! When you are pregnant, the very sight of blood can be very concerning and make you fear many unwanted consequences. Read on to learn what blood in vomit means during pregnancy and whether it is normal to vomit blood during pregnancy.

During Pregnancy, What Does Vomiting Blood Indicate?

Vomiting blood during pregnancy is known as hematemesis. It is not okay to vomit blood, especially when you are pregnant. It is advisable to fix an appointment and meet your doctor right away.

Constant vomiting due to morning sickness in pregnancy could irritate or damage your oesophagus, mouth, or throat, leading to a bit of blood in your vomit. Sometimes, it could also be your stomach. In such a case, your pregnancy is fine, and the baby is safe inside. However, you must take the required tests to rule out complications and confirm everything is on track.

Book an online appointment with Dr. Nidhi Agrawal for Pregnancy & Gynecology related issues

What Causes Vomiting of Blood During Pregnancy?

We know that pregnancy hormones cause vomiting during pregnancy. So, what are the causes of vomiting blood during pregnancy?

Some of the possible causes for vomiting blood during pregnancy apart from an irritated esophagus or throat are:

1. Bleeding Gums

Pregnancy brings about many changes in the body, and bleeding gums is one of them. Pregnancy gingivitis is quite common and can be very uncomfortable. Due to the surge in pregnancy hormones, your gums may become sensitive and bleed easily. Just brushing your teeth or flossing can cause your gums to bleed considerably. When you vomit, this blood could be the brown tinge you see in your vomit.

The constant reflux, retching, or vomiting during pregnancy can irritate your gums further, causing them to bleed frequently. If you are brushing or flossing every time after vomiting, it could also trigger bleeding.

Pregnancy gingivitis may make your gums feel swollen, tender, puffy, or inflamed. They may also recede a little or look red. You may experience sensitivity when you eat or drink something cold and might also suffer from bad breath. If you have any of these symptoms, it is time to visit your dentist.

2. Nosebleeds

The surge in pregnancy hormones and increased blood flow can cause the blood vessels in your nose to swell up and break easily. If you try to control the bleeding by tilting your head backwards or lying down, it may pool blood in the back of your throat. If you vomit, this blood can mix with your vomit and come out.

Nosebleeds are quite common. If it is a nosebleed, you may also experience a stuffy nose, and the blood in your vomit can be bright or dark red. This indicates the blood is coming from the top and is not mixing with the contents of the vomit coming from the stomach

3. Irritation or Tear

As mentioned earlier, the most common cause for blood in vomit during pregnancy's third trimester, or even before, could be an irritated esophagus or throat.

If you notice little blood that comes in bits or appears dry, it could be due to irritation in your throat, mouth, or esophagus. If you see too much blood, it could be irritation in the back of your throat or an esophagus tear.

Esophagus tear is not very common and can happen anytime during pregnancy. It could also be due to the extra weight you carry during your pregnancy's later stages or other underlying health issues.

Your esophagus can tear due to the following reasons:

  • Excess alcohol consumption
  • High blood pressure or preeclampsia
  • Hernia
  • Bulimia
  • Infection in the stomach
  • Severe coughing.

If the blood in your vomit during pregnancy is due to an esophagus tear, you may also experience the following:

  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Heartburn
  • Stomach pain
  • Light-headedness or dizziness
  • Unusually tired
  • Blood in stools (dark poop)
  • Backache.

4. Ulcers

Ulcers or sores in your stomach, throat, or mouth can cause bleeding. When these ulcers bleed or open up, you may see a little blood in your saliva or vomit. History of stomach ulcers can worsen and cause more troubles during pregnancy. The cause of ulcers is stress, not eating on time, or strong medications. Sometimes it can be a bacterial infection too. These can worsen due to morning sickness or nausea. You may even experience frequent burps, heartburns, bloating, stomach pain, inability to eat the usual quantity or unexplained weight loss.

Also Read : Bleeding During the First Trimester of Pregnancy

Diagnosis

When you spot some blood in your vomit, you must check with your doctor immediately, especially if it is a considerable amount of bright red blood. Your doctor will follow these steps to confirm and identify the reason behind all that blood.

  • They will first check your mouth and throat to see if any ulcers or damages are there that could be causing the bleeding.
  • Next, they will note details of how you are feeling, how frequently you are vomiting, how often you found blood in your vomit, etc.
  • They will take blood tests, scans, X-rays, and even an endoscopy to examine your esophagus and throat closely. These tests will help them determine where the problem could be.
  • They may even take a nuclear medicine scan, which uses radiation to get clear images of your internal organs.

If you are losing a lot of blood or your body goes into a shock due to all the blood loss, you may require emergency treatment.

Treatment

It is a medical emergency if you are suffering from hematemesis or vomiting blood during pregnancy. You cannot control or treat it at home with simple home remedies. It is essential to consult your doctor and find the root cause of all the bleeding.

Meanwhile, if you are experiencing a lot of blood loss and weakness, your doctor might give you a blood transfusion to compensate for all the loss. They will also administer intravenous fluids to help you regain your strength and essential nutrients. If losing blood has increased your blood pressure, they will give you medicines to bring the blood pressure under control as well.

Once they stabilize you, they will start treating the root cause of the bleeding. They may prescribe antacids, antibiotics, and other medications depending on the cause and severity of the condition.

Conclusion

So, is it normal to vomit blood during pregnancy? Of course not! However, it does not indicate a miscarriage or any threat to the baby. It is advisable to consult your doctor immediately instead of trying some home remedies to arrest the bleeding. Only a professional can guide you safely on this front

FAQs

1. Is vomiting blood during pregnancy normal?

Vomiting is a part of pregnancy, but vomiting blood is not. Vomiting a little dried blood may not cause immediate harm, but vomiting a considerable amount of bright red blood needs rapid diagnosis and treatment.

2. Is a little blood in vomit normal?

Constant vomiting during pregnancy can lead to irritation and damage to the throat and esophagus. It can lead to a bit of blood in your vomit, which may not be anything to worry about. However, it is always advisable to consult a doctor to be very sure.

3. What does blood in vomit look like?

If you are vomiting bits of dried blood, you can see the dried red blotches in your vomit. If you actively bleed while vomiting, your vomit can look red or brownish.

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