Guest guest Report post Posted March 29, 2010 Folks, A little compassion, please. We are not face-to-face with each other here. We have no idea the state of mind, or the support system in place, of our fellow heppers. Many of us know what esophageal bleeds are caused by, some have experienced them. Please either suggest they see a doctor as soon as possible or send them an email privately. Serious conditions require kind, careful responses. My $.02 > > > > TODAY i SPLIT UP A LITTLE BLOOD IS THAT NORMAL FOR HAVING HEPC > > > Portal Hypertension / Esophageal Varices > > Blood is carried through the liver by a blood vessel called the portal vein. In hepatitis, swelling of the liver can restrict the flow of blood. As blood flow is restricted, the pressure in the portal vein increases. This higher blood pressure in the portal vein is called portal hypertension. > > The blood flowing through the portal vein is trying to return to the heart, so when blood flow through the portal vein is restricted, blood has to find another route and return to the heart using other blood vessels. These vessels become swollen because of the increased amount of blood flowing through them. These swollen blood vessels are called varices (like varicose veins). These swollen blood vessels were not intended to carry high volumes of blood under high pressure, so they can become stretched. This stretching makes them very fragile and they can bleed easily. The esophagus is the tube that passes food from the mouth to the stomach. Varicies can develop in the esophagus, and the passage of food through the esophagus can cause these varices to bleed. Bleeding from a broken blood vessel is serious and can even be fatal. > Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
