What Are the Most Common Causes of Small Intestine Bleeding?
Depending on a person’s age and medical history, there can be a variety of causes for small intestine bleeding. Small intestine bleeding often is referred to as gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. The most common causes of small intestine bleeding are ulcers, Crohn’s disease, tumors or polyps and arteriovenous malformations. Only about 5 percent of all GI bleeding occurs in the small intestine. When it does happen, it usually is the result of some abnormality within the lining of the small bowel. Blood loss can be either rapid, as the result of a hemorrhage, or slow, as would be the result of a tiny blood vessel that might have burst. Often, the first symptom aside from blood in the stool is anemia.
