What Causes Coffee Ground Vomitus?

Gastric Ulcers

When the thick mucus based protective layer of the stomach lining is reduced, the stomach lining tissues are eroded away by the digestive acids. This causes a painful open sore in the stomach called a gastric ulcer. This typically happens as a result of a Helicobacter pylori infection, or regular long term use of aspirin, naproxen, or ibuprofen. Additionally, a very rare disorder called Zollinger Ellison syndrome can result in gastric ulcers and ulcers of the small intestine. A gastric ulcer is similar to a large raw ulcer on the skin and will bleed when irritated by more acid or friction from certain types of food. Because gastric ulcers bleed into the digestive tract, unless there are symptoms of blood in the stool or coffee ground vomitus, an individual who has one may not know how much they are bleeding from it. When an ulcer bleeds into the digestive tract, old dried up blood will accumulate in the stomach, small intestine, and colon. When an individual has a gastric ulcer and experiences coffee ground vomitus, it is a result of old blood being loosened and coming up with vomit.

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