Are Cases Of Watermelon Stomach Common In India? - Check Causes, Symptoms, Treatments And Key Details

Watermelon stomach also known as gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) occurs when blood vessels in your stomach lining weaken and bleed, creating vertical stripes likened to watermelon stomach. Usually, cases of watermelon stomach are found during endoscopy, a procedure that allows them to look inside your body using a thin tube with a tiny camera.

This medical condition is a rare occurrence and is often a successor to conditions such as stomach ulcers or enlarged blood vessels (varices). Anyone can get watermelon stomach, however, its most common in females over 70 years old.

Symptoms/Causes

• Fatigue
• Internal bleeding
• Iron-deficiency anemia
• Abdominal pain
• Blood in stool
• Fatigue
   

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What Treatments Are Available To Watermelon Stomach Patients? 

Healthcare providers use a range of methods to treat watermelon stomach syndrome, from supplements to surgery. If you’ve lost a lot of blood, you may need an emergency blood transfusion. The option that’s right for you depends on the severity of your symptoms and whether you have any related conditions.

Iron supplements: When detected in its earliest stage, you might be able to manage watermelon stomach with iron supplements. But this approach doesn’t work for everyone — and people who take iron supplements may still need one or more blood transfusions to manage the bleeding.

Medications: Your healthcare provider might recommend certain medications to help slow the bleeding in your stomach lining. Though experts don’t yet know the long-term safety of these medications, they can work well during the short term:

• Corticosteroids
• Octreotide
• Hormone therapy

Endoscopic surgery is the most common treatment for watermelon stomach. These procedures aim to close or destroy the affected blood vessels to stop bleeding:

Argon plasma coagulation (APC):  The most common watermelon stomach treatment, APC uses argon gas to cauterize (burn) and seal the affected blood vessels.
Endoscopic band ligation (EBL): This involves placing a band around each affected vessel to close it. Sometimes, providers combine EBL with APC.

Surgery: Patients complaining of watermelon stomach who don’t respond to supplements, medications or endoscopic procedures may need a partial gastrectomy. This surgery involves removing the affected parts of your stomach. Generally, people who have surgery for watermelon stomach don’t need blood transfusions.