It might probably be strange – and somewhat scary – to see streaks of blood in your poop, vivid red water in the bathroom or scarlet spots in your toilet paper.
The very first thing to know is that rectal bleeding and bloody poop normally aren’t anything to fret about. Still, there’s a small probability that whenever you see red in your poop or after a bowel movement, it could possibly be an indication of a medical condition. So in most cases, you’ll need to refer to a physician or clinician should you notice bloody stools or rectal bleeding.
But first, read on to learn in regards to the causes of rectal bleeding and bloody stools, and what to do next.
What’s rectal bleeding?
Rectal bleeding signifies that blood is exiting your body through your rectum or anus. Your rectum is the name for the part of the big intestines right before your anus. Your anus is the opening in your bottom where poop leaves your body.
Rectal bleeding can start in your rectum or anus. But it surely’s also possible for the bleeding to start out at other places in your digestive system, including your stomach and small intestines. This remains to be considered rectal bleeding because the blood will leave your body through your rectum.
Signs and symptoms of rectal bleeding
Blood from rectal bleeding can come out in your poop or in liquid form. So if you’ve got rectal bleeding, chances are you’ll notice blood on toilet paper, in the bathroom water, or poop that’s an unusual color or has red spots in it.
Blood on toilet paper after wiping
Blood on the bathroom paper will likely be vivid red. Most of the time, it’s not an indication of a serious condition, but when it keeps happening, check in along with your doctor. It could possibly be that you simply need treatment for hemorrhoids or an anal fissure, common conditions which are discussed later in this post.
Brilliant red blood in the bathroom
If you’ve got bleeding in your rectum or anus, blood may briefly coat the stool when it lands in the water. It’s also possible for blood to dribble in after a bowel movement. Because it spreads out, it could appear like red food coloring in water. You’ll need to refer to your doctor should you see blood in the bathroom, especially if it looks like a great amount.
Blood in or in your poop
It’s possible you’ll not see blood in the bathroom or on the bathroom paper if you’ve got rectal bleeding. That’s because blood from rectal bleeding can mix into your poop. Blood in poop has spent longer in your digestive system, meaning that the bleeding is probably going out of your stomach, small intestine or higher up in your large intestines.
Bloody poop could be a sign of a serious medical condition. So, make a physician’s appointment should you see blood in your stool.
What bloody stools can appear like
If you’ve got blood in your stools, it could change the general color of your poop, or you would have streaks or spots of blood in the stool.
Colours which will mean there’s blood in your stool
Bloody stools might be different colours, based on where the bleeding is coming from. That’s because blood changes color because it’s broken down by the digestive chemicals – the longer it spends in your digestive system, the darker it gets. Which means:
- Poop that’s nearly black could possibly be attributable to bleeding in the stomach or small intestines.
- Poop that’s dark red or maroon could possibly be attributable to bleeding in your small intestines or in the upper part of your large intestines.
- Brilliant red poop could possibly be attributable to bleeding from the rectum or anus. It may be attributable to a significant issue in your stomach or small intestines that’s causing you to bleed lots over a short while.
It’s also possible to have blood in your stool which you can’t see. This sort of bleeding known as occult bleeding and it could be found whenever you use a test just like the fecal immunochemical test (FIT).
In a severe case, bleeding could come from variations of these sources if it occurs at a rapid pace and in large quantities. If this happens, seek immediate emergency care.
Common causes of rectal bleeding and coloured stools
There are a lot of potential causes for rectal bleeding and bloody stools. Most aren’t serious and are easily treated.
Food and medications that affect poop color
Blood isn’t the one reason why poop can look reddish or black. Food and medications can affect poop color and texture. So in case your poop doesn’t seem right, it’s a great idea to take into consideration what you’ve been eating.
Reddish stools might be attributable to eating lots of beets, cranberries, red gelatin and tomato juice. Antibiotics like cefdinir can even cause red poop. But antibiotics may cause intestinal bleeding, so that you shouldn’t ignore red poop should you’re on antibiotics.
Reasons for dark or blackish stools include foods like blueberries, chocolate and leafy greens. It’s possible you’ll even have black poop after taking iron supplements or bismuth medications similar to Pepto Bismol. Iron supplements can even cause constipation, which is a cause of rectal bleeding that’s covered later in the post.
Hemorrhoids
Most rectal bleeding comes from hemorrhoids, that are swollen veins in the rectum or anus. Other common symptoms of hemorrhoids include an itchy bottom and discomfort when sitting.
Hemorrhoids develop when there’s increased pressure on the lower rectum. Possible causes for the additional pressure include chronic constipation, straining while pooping, spending long periods of time on the bathroom (similar to scrolling your phone or reading the newspaper), pregnancy, lifting heavy objects, having anal intercourse and being chubby.
Hemorrhoids normally aren’t anything to be concerned about. They generally go away on their very own, nevertheless it’s a great idea to refer to a physician a few treatment plan.
Constipation
Coping with constipation could be a literal struggle. It might probably take lots of straining and sometimes the stool that comes out is amazingly hard or very large. And, unfortunately, all that straining and stretching may cause swelling and tears that result in bleeding.
It’s common to get constipated. But chronic constipation could be a sign of medical conditions. So should you consistently go lower than 3 times every week, refer to your doctor.
Chronic diarrhea
When you’ve got diarrhea, it could make your anus red and sore. But when you’ve gotten over your diarrhea, it normally won’t take long in your bottom to feel higher.
If you’ve got diarrhea for a very long time, it could cause swelling or a tear near your anus. Chronic diarrhea could be a sign of other medical conditions. So if it lasts for greater than 4 weeks, refer to your doctor to search out out what’s causing it.
Anal fissures
An anal fissure is a tear in the skin across the anus. Reasons for anal fissures include straining to poop, very hard stools, chronic diarrhea and anal intercourse.
If you’ve got an anal fissure that’s causing your rectal bleeding, you’ll likely feel pain or a burning sensation whenever you poop – and sometimes for hours afterwards. Anal fissures typically go away with home remedies. A physician will help determine which treatments could be best for you.
Anal abscesses or fistulas
You’ve got small glands in your anus that make it easier to pass stool. But it surely’s possible for these glands to get infected and stuffed with puss – when this happens it’s called an anal abscess.
If you’ve got an anal abscess, your body may create a fistula or a tunnel from the abscess to the skin across the anus. That is your body’s way of attempting to drain the puss out of the abscess.
Abscesses and fistulas may cause rectal bleeding and discharge. And since they’re attributable to infection, chances are you’ll get a fever or chills. Anal abscesses and fistulas should be treated by a physician.
Peptic ulcers
Peptic ulcers are sores in the liner of the stomach or the upper part of the small intestines. Ulcers are frequently attributable to unbalanced digestive fluids, often from frequent use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin and ibuprofen.
Ulcers will also be attributable to helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which is a standard stomach bacteria. As much as half of the people in the world could have it, but many don’t understand it’s there because they don’t have any symptoms. If you’ve got stomach ulcers, your doctor will likely test you for a H. pylori infection.
Probably the most common symptoms are stomach pain, bloating, heartburn or nausea. Sometimes peptic ulcers can bleed, and the blood will show up in your poop. You would possibly notice dark spots of blood in your stools, blackish stool or stools that look tarry. It is a more serious symptom of ulcers, and you must see a physician.
Inflammatory bowel disease
If you’ve got inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), it means your digestive tract tissues are chronically inflamed and swollen. When your body tries to digest food, chances are you’ll experience symptoms similar to diarrhea, stomach pain and the necessity to pass stools ceaselessly.
Rectal bleeding could be a common symptom of IBD, depending on the severity of your condition. If you’ve got a gentle or moderate case, you’ll likely only have occasional bloody stools. But when you’ve got a severe case, it’s possible to have 10 or more bloody bowel movements in a day. If you’ve got the symptoms of IBD, make an appointment with a physician. They will diagnose your condition and offer therapies to assist along with your symptoms.
Diverticulitis
Many individuals have small pouches called diverticula in the weakened parts of their large intestines. Normally, these pouches don’t cause any symptoms. Nevertheless, if these pouches turn out to be inflamed, it could cause a condition called diverticulitis that features complications like bleeding and infections. If you’ve got symptoms like vomiting, abdominal pain and fever, you must make a physician’s appointment.
Polyps
Polyps are clumps of abnormal tissue that may grow on the liner of your intestine. Polyps don’t normally cause any symptoms, so it’s unlikely that you simply’d know should you had them. But sometimes polyps can bleed or turn into cancer.
Blood in your poop can mean that you’ve got larger polyps. And your doctor may recommend you get a colonoscopy for cancer screening to ensure that you simply don’t have polyps which are cancerous or precancerous. But it surely’s rare that blood in stool signifies that you’ve got cancer – research shows that cancer is the cause of bloody stools only 3.4% of the time.
Does rectal bleeding go away by itself?
It’s possible for rectal bleeding to go away by itself, nevertheless it really depends upon what’s causing the bleeding. Common causes of rectal bleeding, like hemorrhoids and anal fissures, often heal without special treatment. But chances are you’ll need look after other conditions. The very best first step is to make an appointment with a primary care doctor. Primary care doctors and clinicians can diagnose and treat a whole lot of conditions, in addition to refer you to a specialist for more advanced care if needed.
Should you are worried about blood in stool or rectal bleeding
If there’s one time whenever you see somewhat blood in the bathroom or on the tissue only, it’s probably not a giant deal – especially should you’re not experiencing other symptoms.
But it surely’s necessary to see a physician should you ceaselessly have rectal bleeding or bloody stools. Likelihood is it’s nothing to be concerned about. But when it’s something more serious, like colorectal cancer, early diagnosis greatly increases the possibility that treatment might be successful.
A superb place to start out is along with your primary care doctor. To assist diagnose the issue, they’ll ask questions on the bleeding, how much it happens and when it occurs. So, it’s a great idea to maintain track of times that you simply’ve had bleeding or bloody poop, and if you’ve got other symptoms. This information will help your doctor diagnose the cause of your rectal bleeding.
While it might feel embarrassing to speak about your symptoms, know that your doctor is used to having these conversations – and so they want to know all the small print. Because there are such a lot of causes of bloody stools, the more they know, the higher they will help determine a diagnosis and next steps in treatment.
Depending in your symptoms, your doctor may recommend tests similar to a colonoscopy to discover conditions that would cause rectal bleeding. They might also refer you to a digestive health specialist for testing and treatment.
When to go to urgent care or the emergency room for blood in your stool
In the event you’re seeing lots of blood or have severe abdominal pain or cramping, ask someone to drive you to urgent care.
Very rarely, rectal bleeding results in shock. Call 911, should you experience any of the next:
- Weakness or fatigue
- Rapid pulse
- Rapid respiratory
- Dizziness
Refer to your doctor and stop worrying about bloody stools
It’s at all times a great idea to refer to your doctor should you’re experiencing rectal bleeding or bloody stools. While it’s unlikely that your rectal bleeding is being attributable to something serious, they’ll have recommendations to make it easier to heal more quickly – and make it easier to get mandatory treatment for more serious conditions like colorectal cancer, IBD or infections.