Blood in stool is often first noticed when you see small amounts of blood during a trip to the toilet. You may also notice a few droplets of bright-red blood on the toilet paper. Having blood on stool or noticing signs of blood on your anal area is a typical sign of hemorrhoids or pile. It may also be a sign of anal fissure or a cut in your anus’ external skin where the stools pass. Seeing blood in your stool is a very common occurrence, but it doesn’t always mean that it is caused by hemorrhoids or anal fissure alone. If you notice droplets of blood while using the toilet or on the tissue paper, don’t hesitate to consult a doctor or a general practitioner to find out the root cause of blood in your stool.
In general, blood in stool means it’s coming from somewhere near the anus. A darker red blood that is also sticky may mean it comes from your digestive system. The bleeding caused by an abnormality in your digestive track may cause darker colored stools or feces. This type of stool, also known as malena, may require immediate consultation with a doctor or a general practitioner.
Common and Possible Causes of Blood in Stool
Here are some of the most common and possible causes of blood in stool or rectal bleeding. While the list is comprehensive, don’t diagnose yourself and jump into conclusions. It’s still best to consult a GP for a proper diagnosis.
Piles
Also called hemorrhoids, piles are characterized by swollen blood vessels around the rectum. It is one of the most common conditions and affects millions of people around the world. Piles are also described as varicose veins of the anus, as the veins in and about the anus and around the rectum are enlarged and swollen. It can either be external or internal piles. Internal piles develop inside the anus, just below the mucous membrane lining. They are often painless and just protrude during bowel movement. It can hurt, however, if it becomes completely prolapsed. External piles are uncomfortable and can be painful as the overlying skin may become irritated and erode. The blood clot can also dissolve, leaving an excess of skin that may cause itchiness and irritation.
Anal Fissure
Anal fissure is a small oval-shaped tear around the opening of the anus. It is often mistaken as piles as the symptoms of the two are almost the same. Like piles, anal fissure causes itchiness, blood in stool, and pain during bowel movement. Fissures, however, are often more painful than piles. Most people who suffer from anal fissure become fearful of defecating or having a bowel movement due to the pain.
The blood from an anal fissure is bright red. The bleeding stops quickly and also make you feel like you need to pass stools even if your bowel is empty. Unlike piles that may require a surgery if it gets worse, anal fissure often heals and goes away on its own after a few weeks.
Colon Cancer
Blood in stool may also be an underlying symptom of cancer, the most common of which is bowel or colorectal cancer, a type of disease that affects the cells that line the long muscular tube in the digestive tract that is the bowel. Also known as colon cancer, bowel cancer develops when one of the cells in the colon mutates and forms a clump of malignant cells. Rectal bleeding is the most common symptom of colon cancer.
Polyps
During the first stages of colon cancer, the mutating cells first produce a clump of abnormal cells or a series of polyps in the bowel track. Polyps formed in the inner lining of the anus often causes blood in stool, mucus mixed in with stool, diarrhea, and constipation.
Stomach Cancer
Also called gastric cancer, stomach cancer occurs when a malignant tumor forms in the inner lining of the stomach. Advanced stage stomach cancer can lead to bloody stools that appear tarry and black.
Melanoma
A form of skin cancer, melanoma’s first symptoms include a mole that changes in color and texture or a spot that continues to itch, scab, hurt, fade, or bleed. People with stage 2 melanoma may notice blood in stools often accompanied by abdominal pain during bowel movement.
Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is an infection of the intestine or gut that is often caused by a virus. Its main symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and loose, bloody stools. Milder cases of gastroenteritis require little to no medical treatment, though having a blood in stool may need medical attention.
Angiodysplasia
Most commonly diagnosed in elderly people, angiodysplasia of the colon is characterized by fragile and swollen blood vessels in the colon that often caused blood in stools during bowel movement. People with angiodysplasia often lose blood due to blood lost from the gastrointestinal tract.
Diverticular
Diverticular is a disease that occurs when small pouches or sacs formed in the weak area near the colon wall. These pouches are called diverticula and bleeding occurs when the small blood vessels around these sacs bursts due to inflammation and infection.
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that may affect the small intestine, the colon walls, or the bowel wall. One of its symptoms is blood in stool and occurs when food moving to your gastrointestinal tract cause inflamed tissue to bleed.
Ulcerative Colitis
A chronic inflammation of the large intestines and rectum, ulcerative colitis is characterized by periodic remissions and flare-ups of small abscesses and tiny ulcers in the colon and rectum. The remissions cause the blood in stool, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and other symptoms.
Yellow Fever
A disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes, yellow fever’s most common symptoms is blood in stool. The stool is typically black and tarry. People infected with yellow fever may also vomit black blood.
Colitis
Colitis is the inflammation of the colon’s inner lining and is often caused by infection, ischemic, microscopic colitis, or inflammatory bowel movement. People with colitis may experience abdominal pain and diarrhea with or without blood.
Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Simply referred to as ITP, it is a bleeding condition caused by the low count of blood cell fragments called platelets. It may have no symptom but typical signs include blood in stool, excessive or easy bruising, and prolonged bleeding from cuts.
Peptic Sore
Peptic sore may be a symptom of peptic ulcer disease, which may cause bleeding in the esophagus or the stomach. It may also cause you to vomit blood.
Windpipe Problems
One of the most ignored symptoms of esophagus cancer is windpipe or trachea problems, where a nodule or tumor develops in the trachea. The cancer of the esophagus may cause bleeding in the esophagus and the blood passes through the GI tract which then causes a bloody stool.
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