Blood in Your Stool: What It Means and What to Do About It
“Blood in the stool” is an abnormal, potentially serious condition in which blood is mixed in with a bowel movement. The blood can arise from anywhere along the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. This condition is also called Blood in Stool, “Rectal Bleeding”, or “Gastrointestinal Bleeding” However, not all bleeding passing out from the body comes from the rectum. The blood or blood clot can come from anywhere in the gut. The correct term used in medicine is gastrointestinal tract bleeding.
Dr. Samrat Jankar (Anorectal Disease Specialist) has said “Blood in the stool is always abnormal and needs to be investigated,” In this Blog, Dr. Samrat Jankar – Colorectal surgeon in Pune will explore the causes of rectal bleeding and bloody stools and what you should do about them.
9 Possible causes of blood in your stool?
Typically, blood in stool indicates bleeding in the digestive tract. However, when you go deeper into what blood in stool indicates, the following reasons for blood in stools come to light:
- Piles/Hemorrhoids: Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the lower rectum. Straining or passing a hard stool can rupture these veins, leading to bloody bowel movements. People with hemorrhoids may notice a few drops of blood on the stool, on tissue, or in the toilet bowel. If you think you have piles then you must visit Dr. Samrat Jankar Best Piles specialist in Pune at Kaizen Gastro Care, Pune.
- Anal Fistula: There are small glands inside your anus that are meant to help you pass stool. These glands can become infected causing abscesses or fistulas. Fistulas can also start in the colon and lead to another organ or the surface of the skin.
- Anal fissures: An anal fissure is a tear in the lining of the anus (the opening where stool exits the body). Anal fissures can cause bleeding and a sensation of tearing, ripping, or burning pain during or after a bowel movement.
- Colon or Anal cancer: Colon cancer refers to cancer that starts in the large intestine. Most colon cancers develop from colon polyps over several years. Therefore, removing colon polyps reduces the risk of colon cancer. Colon cancer is rare but curable when diagnosed early.
- IBD Diseases (Crohn’s disease or colitis): Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is swelling of the small or large intestine. Crohn’s disease or colitis causes Blood in the stool. If you are diagnosed with any IBD Disease then you must visit the IBD Specialist in India – Dr. Vikrant Kale at Kaizen Gastro Care, Pune
- Polyps: Polyps are benign growths within the lining of the large bowel. Although most do not cause symptoms, some polyps located in the lower colon and rectum may cause minor bleeding. It is important to remove these polyps because some of them may later turn into colon cancer if left alone.
- Rectal Ulcers: In this condition, When the amount of digestive fluids in your intestines is out of balance, it can damage the lining of your digestive tract and cause ulcers. These can bleed, causing you to have a black stool that’s sometimes tar-like in appearance.
- Diverticulosis: These conditions happen when small pouches — called diverticula — develop in weakened sections of your intestine. These diverticula can protrude through the walls of your bowels, causing bleeding and infections.
- Gastroenteritis: Gastroenteritis is an illness of the stomach and intestines. It can be caused by a virus, bacteria, or parasite. Sometimes, gastroenteritis can cause bloody diarrhea. This is more common in bacterial gastroenteritis
Is rectal bleeding serious?
How Kaizen Gastro Care Will Help in "Blood in Stool Condition"
When you visit Kaizen Gastro Care, our specialist team first asks about your medical history and performs a physical examination. If Kaizen experts suspect bleeding in the upper GI tract, they may perform an endoscopy to determine the cause and potentially treat the condition at the same time. Also, the rectal exam may help our expert determine whether there are masses or hemorrhoids. A colonoscopy can allow for a visually examine the colon and rectum and potentially treat any bleeding.
What are the treatments for blood in stool?
The initial treatment for blood in the stool is to stop the bleeding. Once the bleeding has stopped, Kaizen Colorectal Specialist Dr. Samrat Jankar will suggest a plan to treat the cause of the bleeding. Depending on the cause, he may recommend:
- Medication – Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, or drugs used to suppress stomach acid are often prescribed to stop rectal bleeding.
- Surgery: It may be necessary to repair or correct abnormalities in the digestive tract.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Certain foods can make your stools look red. These include blueberries, tomatoes, beets, or foods that are red.
Blood in stool is always a serious condition. When you notice blood in your stool then you must visit a gastroenterologist or Kaizen Gastro Care, Pune.
Dr. Samrat Jankar (Colorectal Surgeon) Says "Blood in the stool is always abnormal and needs to be investigated". It’s important to keep track of any bleeding you are experiencing.
This depends on the cause of the rectal bleeding. You should talk to a Kaizen expert about specific management options.
Depending on the cause of the bleeding, your rectal bleeding can stop on its own. However, you need to pay attention to your body and keep track of the bleeding. If you have heavy rectal bleeding or are regularly seeing blood, reach out to Kaizen Gastro Care to get immediate care. It’s always a good idea to let our expert knowledge about any rectal bleeding you have experienced.