Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is an uncommon cause of chronic gastrointestinal bleeding or iron deficiency anemia. [1][2] The condition is associated with dilated small blood vessels in the gastric antrum, which is a distal part of the stomach. [1] The dilated vessels result in intestinal bleeding.
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[3] It is also called watermelonstomach because streaky long red areas that are ... · WatermelonStomach (Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasis) Watermelonstomach is a condition where your stomach lining bleeds, causing stripes (like the ones on a watermelon) to form. You can’t see these stripes unless a provider looks inside your body with an endoscope. Symptoms include anemia, vomiting blood and blood in your stool (poop).
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Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), or watermelon stomach, is a rare condition that causes the blood vessels in the stomach lining to weaken and bleed. Red stripes appear on the stomach lining, so that it resembles a watermelon.Although some people will experience no symptoms, others will feel tired and notice blood in their stool.See full list on medicalnewstoday.comWatermelon stomach is a rare condition that affects a person’s stomach lining. It makes the blood vessels within the stomach lining fragile and likely to bleed.Research from 2019 notes that watermelon stomach is responsible for about 4% of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Non-variceal means that it is not due to varices, which are abnormally enlarged veins.See full list on medicalnewstoday.comWatermelon stomach can sometimes cause no symptoms. If a person does have symptoms, they can include:•iron deficiency anemia, which is a lack of iron in the blood•fatigue•vomiting blood•blood in stools•abdominal painSee full list on medicalnewstoday.comIt remains unclear exactly what causes watermelon stomach, but researchers have various theories.
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These include:•achlorhydria, a condition in which a person’s stomach does not produce hydrochloric acid, an acid that the body uses to break down food•hypergastrinemia, which is when a person has an increased level of the hormone gastrin in their stomach•low levels of the digestive enzyme pepsinogenSee full list on medicalnewstoday.comA doctor can diagnose a person with watermelon stomach by using endoscopy, in which they insert a long, thin tube called an endoscope into a person’s throat. The endoscope has a small camera on the end, which allows the doctor to look at images of the person’s stomach.A person with watermelon stomach will have visible vertical red stripes on their stomach lining.Occasionally, a doctor may take a tissue sample, or biopsy, of a person’s stomach lining to confirm a watermelon stomach diagnosis. They might also take a blood sample to check for signs of anemia.Learn more about endoscopy.See full list on medicalnewstoday.comIf doctors diagnose watermelon stomach early enough, it may be possible to treat it just with iron supplements.Doctors can treat the associated iron deficiency anemia with regular blood transfusions or iron replacement tablets.They may prescribe certain medications to control bleeding resulting from watermelon stomach. However, the long-term effectiveness and safety of these medications require further research.Medications that can treat watermelon stomach include:•corticosteroids•hormone therapySee full list on medicalnewstoday.comA person should speak with a doctor if they have symptoms of watermelon stomach. A person with signs of iron deficiency anemia should also contact a doctor.Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include:•yellow or pale skin•fatigue•shortness of breath•chest painSee full list on medicalnewstoday.comPeople can manage watermelon stomach with treatment. Without treatment, a person may develop iron deficiency anemia.
This may require them to have frequent blood transfusions.A person may also find that their watermelon stomach reoccurs after treatment. If this happens, a person will need to restart their treatment.See full list on medicalnewstoday.comWatermelon stomach is a rare condition that causes bleeding in a person’s stomach lining. It causes characteristic red, vertical stripes to form on the stomach lining, giving the appearance of a watermelon.Watermelon stomach can sometimes show no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they can include fatigue or blood in the stool.Doctors do not know the exact cause of watermelon stomach.