If there is a chance your red stool could be blood, you should contact your physician immediately to rule out potentially serious conditions. The medical term for visible blood in the stool is hematochezia. The brighter the blood, the more likely it is to be coming from a source in the lower gastrointestinal tract , such as the colon large intestine. A darker color may mean the blood is from higher in the gastrointestinal tract such as the esophagus , stomach, or small intestine.
This article covers various reasons your stool may appear red and how doctors diagnose blood in the stool. Several different types of food with natural or artificial coloring may cause the stool to be red. This can often look like blood, but it isn't. Check food labels because the food might not appear red but may still have red food coloring in it. Some of the foods that can cause red stools include:. If you have not eaten red foods or other brightly colored foods recently and have red stools, contact a doctor right away to get it checked out.
This is especially true when there has been more than one red stool but nothing red in the diet. Hemorrhoids are a common cause of bright red blood in the stool or on the toilet paper. A hemorrhoid is actually a form of varicose vein.
With hemorrhoids, the veins in and around the rectum and anus become swollen. Symptoms of hemorrhoids include:. To diagnose hemorrhoids, a physician will need to examine the anus and rectum. They may also perform a rectal exam. This may be embarrassing for a minute, but doctors are used to giving these types of exams. An anal fissure is a tear or ulcer in the lining of the anal canal. The anal canal is the last part of the rectum before the anus.
Fissures can occur in anyone but are more common in middle-aged people and young adults. A fissure can be difficult to heal. That's because it causes the anal sphincter to spasm and aggravate itself.
Symptoms of a fissure include:. Fissures can be caused by constipation, forcing a hard bowel movement through the anus, childbirth, or ulceration of hemorrhoids. A diverticulum is a small pouch in the colon that bulges out of a weakened spot in the colon wall.
The condition of having diverticula in the colon is called diverticulosis. Although not common, diverticula may cause bloody stools.
This bleeding may not require treatment unless it is continuous or severe. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are incurable chronic diseases of the digestive tract.
Together, they are known as inflammatory bowel disease IBD. IBD has active periods known as "flares" and times where there are no symptoms known as remission. IBD may cause bleeding in the digestive tract that appears in the stool or the toilet. To diagnose IBD, a digestive specialist will order and study several diagnostic tests. These tests might include blood work, imaging scans, and endoscopy procedures. A less common cause of blood in the stool is a colon polyp.
A polyp is a growth on the wall of the colon or rectum. Sometimes, colon cancers develop from these polyps. Discovering polyps early and having them removed through sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy tests in which a camera is used to look at the inside of the colon may help prevent colon cancer.
Unfortunately, by the time a colon polyp is causing visible bleeding, cancer is often already present. Before your doctor can make a diagnosis and offer treatment, they will need to determine the location of the bleeding.
To find out the cause of the bleeding, your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. This includes questions about changes in bowel habits. For example, your doctor will want to know if you've had constipation or diarrhea. They will also want to understand the location of any pain. In addition, your doctor may perform a rectal exam.
During this exam, your doctor will insert a gloved, lubricated finger into the anus. While diarrhea is unpleasant, it is not usually a sign of something serious. Red or bloody diarrhea, however, may be a sign of an underlying health problem. Diarrhea occurs when digested food material and water pass through the intestines too quickly.
Instead of having time to form a solid mass, the material passes through in a liquid form. Red diarrhea may be alarming, but stool color can help a person determine the cause of their symptoms. In this article, we look at the possible causes and treatment, as well as what other stool colors mean. Looking at stool color can often help a person determine what is causing their gastrointestinal symptoms.
When a person has diarrhea, they can lose a significant amount of fluid via their stool. When this happens, a person can become dehydrated. A person should drink small sips of water or an electrolyte-replacement beverage regularly to help replace the lost water. Electrolyte powders are available for purchase online.
Diarrhea is often a way in which the body gets rid of an unwanted virus. Instead of prescribing medications that would slow the intestines and cause the body to retain the bacteria for longer, doctors may encourage a person to allow the diarrhea to run its course. However, prolonged diarrhea may require additional treatments, such as intravenous fluids and medications to reduce cramping in the bowels. In more severe cases of dysentery, a person may be given antibiotics or amoebicidal medications, or both if the exact cause is unknown.
This procedure takes place in the hospital, and the person will need to remain there until their blood count is within a normal range. If a person thinks red diarrhea is due to their medication, they should speak to a doctor about possible alternatives.
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