What is rectal bleeding?
Rectal bleeding can refer to any blood that passes from your anus, although rectal bleeding is usually assumed to refer to bleeding from your lower colon or rectum. Your rectum makes up the lower portion of your large intestine.
Rectal bleeding may show up as blood in your stool, on the toilet paper or in the toilet bowl. Blood that results from rectal bleeding is usually bright red in color, but occasionally can be dark maroon.
Many people think that bleeding from the back of the body is caused by hemorrhoids, but arbitrarily diagnosing and treating it is not allowed, because rectal bleeding is quite possible to be a manifestation of much more dangerous diseases, pathology.
Causes
Rectal bleeding may occur for many reasons.
Common causes of rectal bleeding include:
- Anal fissure (a small tear in the lining of the anal canal)
- Constipation
- Hard stools
- Hemorrhoids (swollen and inflamed veins in your anus or rectum)
Less common causes of rectal bleeding include:
- Anal cancer
- Angiodysplasia
- Colon cancer
- Colon polyps
- Crohn's disease (a type of inflammatory bowel disease)
- Diarrhea
- Diverticulosis
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Ischemic colitis
- Proctitis (inflammation of the lining of the rectum)
- Pseudomembranous colitis (colon inflammation caused by an infection)
- Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (a sore on the wall of the rectum)
- Ulcerative colitis
When to see a doctor
Seek emergency help if you have significant rectal bleeding and any signs of shock:
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- Dizziness or lightheadedness after standing up
- Blurred vision
- Fainting
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Cold, clammy, pale skin
- Low urine output
Seek immediate medical attention
Have someone drive you to an emergency room if rectal bleeding is:
- Continuous or heavy
- Accompanied by severe abdominal pain or cramping
Make an appointment to see your doctor if you have rectal bleeding that lasts more than a day or two, or earlier if the bleeding worries you.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/rectal-bleeding/basics/definition/sym-20050740
