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blood in stool

Blood in Stool

Jan 8th, 2012
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Bloody stools in adults are something which often causes alarm. However, it could usually be due to anal fissures or haemorrhoids, which are not medical emergencies. Even food or medications consumed can cause such symptoms. Blood in stool can though sometimes indicate a serious underlying condition. Blood in the stool can be of different colours. It can be bright red, dark brown or even black. The most serious medical condition that results in blood in the stool is colon cancer. However, blood in the stool is most often caused by other less severe conditions.

Causes of Blood in the Stool

The primary cause of blood in the stool can be due to bleeding in the large intestine. The area affected will be indicated by the colour in the blood. If there is bleeding in the end of the colon or rectum, the blood in the stools will be bright red. Dark red or nearly black blood will indicate bleeding higher in the colon. Apart from this, there can be several other blood in stool causes:

  • Stomach Ulcer – Peptic ulcer is the most common stomach ulcer that materializes in the digestive tract. The acidic state aggravates this ulcer and can cause severe pain to the patient. The most common causes of stomach ulcers include missed meals, stress and consumption of acidic food. An ulcer is not cancerous. Peptic ulcers are caused by the destruction of the gastric lining due to excessive hydrochloric acid. In addition, certain types of bacteria such as H.pylori can also cause stomach ulcers. Pain in the upper abdomen, weight loss and bloody stools are common symptoms of stomach ulcers.
  • Haemorrhoids – Swollen and inflamed veins in the rectum and anus characterizes haemorrhoids, or piles. Inflammation can occur due to straining during a bowel movement or from pressure put on the veins during pregnancy. Symptoms of haemorrhoids are rectal bleeding during bowel movements, itchy symptoms in the anal area; lump near the anus and in some severe cases, leakage of faeces.
  • Diverticulitis – Inflammation or infection of diverticula in the digestive tract is known as diverticulitis. These are small pouches that can form anywhere in the digestive tract. Symptoms of diverticulitis are abdominal pain, nausea, fever, diarrhea, constipation and rectal bleeding.
  • Crohn’s Disease – Any part of the digestive tract can be affected with a bowel disease known as Crohn’s Disease. Although blood in the stools is less common in Crohn’s Disease, it occurs in some patients. As with any problem with the digestive tract, symptoms of Crohn’s Disease include diarrhea and rectal bleeding. Apart from this, persons affected with Crohn’s Disease may experience night sweats, fever and abdominal pain.
  • Colonoscopy – A colonoscopy is also one of the blood in stool causes. This is a test that is used to screen for colon cancer. A colonoscopy is conducted to remove polyps and other abnormal growths in the colon. If the colon is punctured during this test, it can pass out as blood in the stools.
  • Ischemic Colitis – This can occur due to interrupted blood flow due to a medical condition such as hernia or diabetes. In addition, it can occur after abdominal surgery or due to an infection. If untreated, Ischemic Colitis can be life threatening. Symptoms include passing blood with or without stools, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, among others.

Treatment and Prevention

There are several methods of preventing and treating discomfort caused by blood in stool. Firstly, it is recommended to obtain medical advice about possible blood in stool causes. A healthcare provider will prescribe tests that need to be taken to make an accurate diagnosis. These tests include a rectal examination, anoscopy, sigmoidoscopy and a colonoscopy. Medication and treatment will be prescribed depending on the results of these tests.

  • Home Remedies – If the tests rule out any major medical conditions such as cancer or any other as discussed above, many home remedies can be used to alleviate discomfort and pain associated with bloody stools in adults. These home remedies can help alleviate the bloody stool symptoms to a great extent. The best remedial action is to increase the intake of dietary fiber, as well as daily water intake. Secondly, if a person is taking laxatives or anti-inflammatory medications, then this too can cause bloody stools. Therefore, avoiding the use of them can be another effective remedial action. In addition, avoiding excessive intake of coffee and establishing regular bowel habits will also help avoid a recurrence of rectal bleeding.
  • Medical Treatment – Home remedies will not be helpful if there is excessive bleeding. In the case of excessive bleeding, or black or brown colour bleeding, seeking emergency treatment is a must. Medical intervention will include prescription medications, blood transfusions, interventional radiography embolization or surgery where deemed necessary.

Blood in the stools is not something that should be ignored as being common or unimportant. Although it could be a problem that is just inconvenient, it is always recommended to seek medical attention. Since some causes of bloody stool are linked to life threatening conditions such as colon cancer or ischemic colitis, it is not wise to ignore such symptoms, as it could result in complicated medical emergencies.

What Does Blood in Stools Mean?

Jan 5th, 2012
by admin.
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Blood in stool is called hematochezia, and it may be caused by certain illnesses and disorders. You may want to ignore it when you notice some blood in your stool; it may be dark red in color but sometimes it can be a disturbing black color and may require your doctor’s attention.

To understand why blood in your stool happens you need to know what causes it. This condition is just a symptom which means that there is some underlying condition. Contrary to what some may believe, a bruise in the rectum is not always the reason why there is blood in stools.

A lot of the time, colon cancer is the main cause of blood in stools, but this is not always the case. It could be something less serious. If it is colon cancer, then you should be glad that you have been diagnosed early. Never ignore any unusual circumstances regarding your health. The sooner you consult your doctor and get diagnosed, the better.

Common Causes of Blood in Stools:

Bleeding in the large intestine could be what is causing the blood in your stools. If the blood is fresh-looking, then the bleeding could be occurring at the end of the colon or in the rectum itself. If the color is somewhat dark brown to black, which is called tarry stools, then the bleeding is happening higher in the colon.

Other causes of blood in stools are hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, non-cancerous growths like polyps, intestinal infection like bacterial enterocolitis, inflammatory bowel disorders such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Sometimes, blood in stool can be caused by a very recent trauma. It can appear after a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy test; the bleeding can last for up to two days and is not a serious condition.

Bowel ischemia resulting from lack of blood flow also causes blood in stool.

Use of NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen may be causing the appearance of bloody stools.

Sometimes people get anxious when they notice their stools to be darker in color than usual, and they will think that they have bloody stool even if blood is not really visible. Dark stools are sometimes the result of taking iron supplements and foods with dark colors such as blackberries, blueberries, beets and many more.

Do not be embarrassed to seek medical help if you have this condition; it is better to know what is causing blood in your stool rather than be anxious all the time.

When you notice that your stool is bloody, you should also look out for other signs of possible diseases, like changes in stool color, the consistency and frequency of bowel movements. If hemorrhoids are the cause, then there is no need to worry; it is an easily treated condition. But if these have been ruled out and colon cancer is suspected, then it is better get tested right away, there is no time to waste; early detection means early cure.

Treatments for blood in stool

Treatments will depend on the cause of the bleeding; most of the time, proper diet can stop this condition. Blood in stool can occur when the stool is too hard and finds it difficult to pass through the anus. The anus will then bleed because it might be slightly injured and so blood is inevitable. If that is the case, you just need to eat properly to be able to digest your food properly and for waste to be discharged more easily.

If colon cancer is the cause then proper treatment for cancer is the only way to stop the occurrence of blood in stools. You need to be aware that this type of cancer is really risky and blood in stools is just one of the possible symptoms. Mostly, this symptom will be among the last to appear. Therefore it’s better to get checked at once, before it’s too late.