What do you do if you're throwing up blood?

Throwing up blood is considered a medical emergency, and it's important that you seek immediate attention from your doctor or a hospital.  Vomiting blood can be a sign of some very serious medical conditions and needs to be investigated as quickly as possible.

• Stomach ulcer - The vomiting of blood can occur if stomach ulcers have damaged underlying arteries.  Other symptoms include severe stomach pain.
• Liver disease - Oesophageal varices are enlarged veins in the oesophagus that can bleed and cause vomiting. Alcoholism is a leading cause of this condition and it can be life threatening.
• Oesophagus tears - If you've been dry-heaving you may have caused a tear in your oesophagus which will cause bleeding and vomiting of blood.
• Swallowed blood - Long lasting nosebleeds can cause a lot of blood to be swallowed.  This can make you vomit, leading to the blood being brought back up.

As mentioned earlier, throwing up blood is a medical emergency, and it's imperative that you seek medical help if this occurs.