Rectal Bleeding

Buttock Rectum | Urology | Rectal Bleeding (Symptom)


Description

Rectal bleeding, medically known as hematochezia, refers to the passage of red blood from the anus, often mixed with stool and / or blood clots. Bloody stools often indicate an injury or disorder in the digestive tract. The term hematochezia is used to describe the stool serves red or brown. Blood in the stool may come from any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. It may be present in such small quantities that a person cannot actually see and can only be detected by examination of fecal occult blood. Maroon-coloured stools or bright red usually indicates that the blood comes from the lower digestive tract (large intestine, rectum, or anus). However, sometimes massive or rapid bleeding in the stomach causes bright red stools. The severity of rectal bleeding, namely the amount of blood that is passed, varies widely. Most episodes of rectal bleeding are mild and stop on their own. Many patients report only passing a few drops of fresh blood that turns the toilet water pink or points of observation of blood in the toilet paper.

Causes

The causes of blood in the stool may be due to gastrointestinal upset conditions such as hemorrhoids or serious conditions like cancer. The blood in the stool should be something to be evaluated by a health professional. The colour of the blood during rectal bleeding often depends on the location of the bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. In general, the closer the bleeding site in the anus, the brighter red blood is. Thus, bleeding from the anus, rectum and sigmoid colon tend to be bright red, whereas bleeding from the transverse colon and right colon (transverse and right colon are several feet away from the anus) tend to be dark red or brown colour.

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