When should I call my healthcare provider? Key points A Mallory-Weiss tear is a tear of the tissue of your lower esophagus. It is most often caused by violent coughing or vomiting. A Mallory-Weiss tear can be diagnosed and treated during an endoscopic procedure.
If the tear is not treated, it can lead to anemia, fatigue, shortness of breath, and even shock. Next steps Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare provider: Before your visit, write down questions you want answered. Bring someone with you to help you ask questions and remember what your provider tells you.
At the visit, write down the names of new medicines, treatments, or tests, and any new instructions your provider gives you. If you have a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Important Phone Numbers. Topic Contents What is a Mallory-Weiss tear? How is a Mallory-Weiss tear diagnosed?
What are the symptoms? How is a Mallory-Weiss tear treated? Where can you learn more? Top of the page. What is a Mallory-Weiss tear?
Symptoms may include: Belly pain. Vomiting blood. Blood that appears in the stool will be dark and look like tar, unless you have a large bleed, in which case it will be red. If you have these symptoms, seek immediate emergency care. In some cases, blood loss from MWS can be substantial and life-threatening. There are other health problems that may produce similar symptoms. Symptoms associated with MWS may also occur with the following disorders:.
Your doctor will ask you about any medical issues, including daily alcohol intake and recent illnesses, to identify the underlying cause of your symptoms. If your symptoms indicate active bleeding in the esophagus, your doctor may do what is called an esophagogastroduodenoscopy EGD.
Your doctor will insert a small, flexible tube with a camera attached to it, called an endoscope, down your esophagus and into the stomach. This can help your doctor see your esophagus and identify the location of the tear. Your doctor will likely also order a complete blood count CBC to confirm the number of red blood cells.
Your red blood cell count may be low if you have bleeding in the esophagus. Your doctor will be able to determine if you have MWS based on the findings from these tests. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders , the bleeding that results from tears in the esophagus will stop on its own in about 80 to 90 percent of MWS cases.
The doctor performing the EGD can perform this therapy. Endoscopic options include:. Medications to reduce stomach acid production, such as famotidine Pepcid or lansoprazole Prevacid , may also be necessary. However, the effectiveness of these medications is still under debate. Doctors suspect the diagnosis of Mallory-Weiss syndrome in people who have blood in their vomit after one or more episodes of vomiting.
If the amount of bleeding is small, doctors may wait to do testing because the bleeding may stop on its own. If the bleeding is severe or does not stop on its own, doctors do upper endoscopy.
During upper endoscopy, doctors examine the esophagus using a flexible tube called an endoscope Endoscopy Endoscopy is an examination of internal structures using a flexible viewing tube endoscope.
Endoscopy can also be used to treat many disorders because doctors are able to pass instruments Upper endoscopy allows doctors to see the bleeding source and often treat it at the same time.
If bleeding is rapid or severe, doctors sometimes do angiography. During angiography, doctors use a catheter to inject an artery with a liquid contrast agent Radiographic Contrast Agents During imaging tests, contrast agents may be used to distinguish one tissue or structure from its surroundings or to provide greater detail.
Contrast agents include Radiopaque contrast agents Most bleeding episodes stop by themselves, but sometimes the doctor must do endoscopy and take measures to stop the bleeding. Measures include using heat to cauterize the bleeding blood vessel, clipping it closed, or injecting a drug into it.
Alternatively, the doctor may inject vasopressin or epinephrine into the bleeding blood vessel during angiography to stop the bleeding.
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