What Causes Blood in Stool



Bloody feces means that there is blood in stool or faeces when you defecate (bloody bowel movements). Bleeding stool can be a very scary thing, but not all bloody feces is a serious problem. It is therefore important to know what causes blood in stool. Bloody bowel movements are characterized by the presence of blood in stool / feces that means there is bleeding somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes a very small amount of blood that can only be detected by occult blood test (test to check for hidden blood in the stool). Sometimes it can be seen by naked eye in the toilet after a bowel movement as bright red blood. Bleeding that occurs in upper gastrointestinal tract can make stool look black. So you need to be aware when you defecate blackish stool, it can be because there is blood in the stool.

Causes of blood in bowel movement


Diverticular disease
Diverticular are small pouch as a projection of the colon wall. Usually the diverticula do not cause any problems, but sometimes it can be bloody or infected, causing bloody bowel movements.

Anal fissure
It is a cut or tear in the tissue that lines the anus similar to the cracks that occur on chapped lips or a piece of paper, it can consequently cause dysentery. Fissures are often caused by big and hard fecal and can be so painful.


Colitis
Among the various causes, the more common one is infection or inflammatory bowel disease.

Angiodysplasia
A condition which causes by abnormal blood vessels, brittle, thus causing bleeding during bowel movements.

Peptic ulcers
Open sores in the lining of the stomach or duodenum, the upper end of the small intestine. Peptic ulcers are caused by infection of a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ). Long-term use or high doses of anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen can cause ulcers which resulted in bloody bowel movement, usually black-colored.

Polyps or cancer 
Polyps are benign tumors that can grow, bleed, and become cancerous. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States, and often cause bleeding that is not visible to the naked eye.

Problems in the esophagus (gullet) 
Varicose veins in the esophagus or tear in the esophagus can cause severe blood loss.

Are you still confused which one is the cause of your bloody stool ?

If so, ask the help of a doctor. Tell the details of the bleeding that occurs. For example, black stool, what causes black stools are ulcers ( gastric ulcer ) or upper gastrointestinal tract. Bright red bloody stool usually indicates a problem in the lower gastrointestinal tract such as hemorrhoids or diverticulitis.

After getting a medical history and perform a physical examination, doctors often recommend tests to determine the cause of bleeding.

A person who is experiencing bloody faeces may not be aware of the bleeding. Therefore, they often deny that they experince blood in stool. However, on the other hand, they also may have experienced abdominal pain, vomiting, weakness, shortness of breath, diarrhea, palpitations, fainting, and weight loss. It depends on the cause, location, duration, and severity of bleeding.


Treatment for Blood in Stool


A doctor may use one of several techniques to stop acute bleeding. Often the endoscope is used to inject chemicals to the site of bleeding, stop the bleeding with an electric current or laser, or using a band or clip to close the source of bleeding. If the endoscope can not control the bleeding, the doctor may use angiography to inject the drug into the blood vessels to control bleeding.

In addition to stop the bleeding immediately, if necessary, treatment is also done to address the causes of bleeding so that will not recur. Treatment varies depending on the cause and may include medications such as antibiotics to treat H. pylori or anti-inflammatory drugs to treat bowel inflammation, or surgery to remove the polyp or the parts of the intestines which damaged by cancer, diverticulitis, or inflammatory bowel disease.

In many cases, however, treatment involves simple things you can do yourself. This includes eating a high fiber to relieve constipation that can cause and aggravate hemorrhoids and anal fissures. Sitting soak in warm water to ease anal fissure.

The doctor will prescribe or recommend treatment based on the diagnosis and the causes of blood in stool that you experienced.

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