What is the main cause of blood in stool?
Causes of rectal bleeding include hemorrhoids, anal fissure, proctitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulosis, ulcerative colitis, rectal ulcer, rectal prolapse, ischemic colitis, angiodysplasia, rectal trauma, anal cancer, colon cancer, proctitis from radiation therapy, and others.
What does it mean when you have a bloody stool?
Blood in the stool means there is bleeding somewhere in your digestive tract. Sometimes the amount of blood is so small that it can only be detected by a fecal occult test (which checks for hidden blood in the stool).
What kind of blood is in stool after a bowel movement?
Rectal bleeding is often seen as bright red blood on toilet paper—usually after a bowel movement—or by turning the toilet bowl water red. Rectal bleeding can also be recognized in extremely dark stool (bowel movement), ranging in color from deep red/maroon to black, and sometimes appearing tar-like (melena).
What should I do if I have blood in my stool?
The conventional medical treatment for bloody stools usually means treating the underlying cause. Managing discomfort can also be important. Injecting chemicals into the site of bleeding using an electric current or laser, or applying a band or clip to close the bleeding vessel
What does it mean when you have blood in your rectum?
Bright red blood usually means bleeding that’s low in your colon or rectum. Dark red or maroon blood can mean that you have bleeding higher in the colon or in the small bowel. Melena (dark and tar-like stool) often points to bleeding in the stomach, such as bleeding from ulcers .
What are potential causes of blood in your stool?
Upper GI Bleed. As any surgeon can attest to, the most common cause of a lower GI bleed is an upper GI bleed. When you bleed copiously from an anatomical structure proximal to the ligament of Treitz, a ligament that suspends the distal duodenum, the blood can appear undigested in your stool (rapid transit). 2 . In order to…
Is blood in your stool a very bad sign?
Seeing blood in your stool can be very concerning. For most people, the fear is that this is a sign of colon cancer . Although blood in the stool is considered a red-flag digestive symptom , it doesn’t automatically mean that you have a life-threatening illness.
What doctor should you see for blood in the stool?
I understand that finding blood in the toilet can be quite alarming. Typically it is not an indicator of a more serious condition. However, whenever blood is discovered in one’s stool you should make an appointment with your doctor or a gastroenterologist to ensure that the blood is not an indicator of another issue.
Is it serious if you have blood in your stool?
Blood in the stool can indicate a relatively mild condition, such as hemorrhoids, or blood in the stool can accompany a serious, even life-threatening condition, such as esophageal varices or colorectal cancer. Having blood in the stool can appear in a variety of forms.