I Occasionally Poop Blood

by admin

Q: I saw a Colorectal Cancer Awareness poster that said to look out for blood in my stools. What exactly am I looking for?

6 reasons you may have blood in your stool If you notice you have blood in your stool, in the toilet or on the toilet paper after having a bowel movement, see your primary care doctor or get emergency help for severe bleeding. Here are some of the health conditions the bowel change may signal. When someone sees blood in their stool, their mind often jumps to colon cancer, but the first sign of colon cancer is usually anemia, Dr. Colon cancers can cause bleeding and a loss of red blood cells, which causes anemia. Anemia is usually picked up during routine blood work. Blood in my poop blood in my poop and im 7 months pregnant blood and mucus in stool 19 year old daughter with blood in bowel movements Pooping bright red blood Blood when I fart and go toilet. Bleeding when I poop Blood in my daughters stool blood and clear discharge in stool blood stool toilet blood and mucus in my poop, followed by a red lump. Blood in the Stool after Drinking: Potential Abdominal Bleeding One of the first distinctions that a physician needs to make when dealing with patients suffering from blood in the stool after drinking is describing the color and the quantity of blood that has been lost.

A: A person’s stool (poop) is a window into their health and a precious warning sign of a problem, so look at it before you flush it. Keeping an eye on your stools is an important step in being aware of colorectal cancer and identifying early signs of the disease.

The topic of what one’s stool says about their health is very extensive and I won’t get into it all here, but let’s talk about seeing blood.

Firstly, blood in your poop is not normal. All blood passed in the stool, around the stool or after the stool is abnormal and represents a problem of varying severity.

Why do i poop blood

So to answer the question, you are just looking for blood. And if you see it, you need to report it to your family physician for investigation. It’s just that simple. Having said that, there are certainly more worrisome characteristics of the blood in one’s stool and certain features that you should be aware of in order to report them to your physician. To understand these characteristics, one must imagine where this blood is coming from.

Colorectal cancer is a disease of the cells of the inner lining of the colon or rectum. The cells begin to grow out of control, first forming a cluster of cells called a polyp and eventually becoming a cancer as the cells burrow deeper into the wall. Because these polyps and eventual cancers are growing on the inner lining of the bowel, they ooze or bleed into the bowel and that blood then becomes incorporated with the stool as it passes through.

With that background, one can begin to imagine just how blood in the stool might look if it is coming from a colorectal cancer. If the cancer is in the right side of the colon (the beginning of the colon and furthest from the anus) then the blood might be undetectable by the eye by the time it reaches the toilet. If there is lots of blood coming from a cancer in the right colon, it may no longer look like red blood by the time it reaches the toilet but rather like black tar mixed in with the stool.

If the cancer is further along in the colon or even in the rectum, the blood will still be red smeared along the stool as it hits the toilet or the blood will be mixed in with the stool but still bright red in appearance.

Finally, if the cancer that is bleeding is in the rectum, just before the exit, you might see only blood coming into the toilet either prior to or after the stool as it is bleeding directly out of the anus rather than mixing with stool.

So by understanding how blood in the stool could be a warning sign of a cancer, it also becomes clearer why we use a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) to look at the stool microscopically (and why it’s so important!) This test checks for occult (hidden) blood in the stool as a screening test for colorectal cancer — it can find blood that isn’t visible to the eye when you look in the toilet.

Why am i poop blood

The test isn’t specific — many other things can lead to hidden blood in the stool and the test can’t tell which it is causing the blood. But it is very sensitive, which means that almost all colorectal cancer patients would be positive if the test was done. That means very few false negatives, which is ideal for a screening test.

It is obviously very important to understand that many different colorectal problems can lead to blood in the stools, not just cancer. But do remember that regardless of the cause, blood in your poop it is not normal and needs discussion and investigation by your primary care physician. The characteristics of the blood will offer clues but by no means will it make a diagnosis and almost certainly the next step will be a colonoscopy to definitively sort out what’s going on.

Why Am I Poop Blood

In very simple terms, please do this for me: Turn and look at your stool before flushing. It could save your life.

I Occasionally Poop Blood

Blood On Top Of Poop

(This post was updated in August 2020 to reflect a change in Ontario’s colorectal screening test from the fecal occult blood test to the FIT)

Why Do I Occasionally Poop Blood

Maybe you noticed bloody toilet paper or the water in the toilet bowl turn red after your bowel movement. It doesn’t matter how it came to your attention, discovering bright red blood in your stool can be alarming. But don’t panic just yet, because it isn’t necessarily something serious.

Bleeding can occur anywhere along the digestive, or gastrointestinal (GI), tract – from the mouth to the anus. The longer the blood has been present, the darker it will be by the time it is deposited in the toilet. Bright red blood usually indicates that it comes from a lower portion of the GI tract, either the colon, the rectum, or the anus itself.

Spots Of Blood In Poop

Let’s take a look at some of the most common issues that result in bright red blood in the stool.

Blood Mixed In Poop

  • Hemorrhoids. These swollen veins are found in the anus or rectum and are the most likely cause of bright red blood in the stool. They are often caused by common issues such as constipation or childbirth that put strain on the area. Hemorrhoids aren’t dangerous, but if they become bothersome, multiple treatment options are available.
  • Anal fissures and abscesses. These abnormalities of the anus – fissures are tears and abscesses are pockets of infection – often cause bleeding. They should be treated by a physician to prevent further complications and to identify any underlying issues that have contributed to their development.
  • Diverticular disease. This disease results from a weakening in the bowel wall, allowing small pouches, or diverticuli, to form. Often people live their entire lives with diverticuli and never have symptoms. But sometimes they can become inflamed and infected, leading to bleeding, fever, and pain.
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD occurs when the small or large intestine becomes inflamed in autoimmune conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. It can also result from poor blood flow, radiation, or infection. IBD can cause cramping, fever, and diarrhea in addition to bleeding.
  • Polyps. These outgrowths of the lining of the colon are common findings and often cause no symptoms. When they grow larger, however, they can bleed. Polyps have the potential to be or become cancerous so your gastroenterologist will most likely remove them during a colonoscopy.
  • Ulcers. Ulcers are erosions of the lining of the intestinal tract. Since ulcers usually occur in the stomach and small intestine, blood from them usually appears dark or tar-like by the time it reaches the stool. Occasionally an ulcer may erode an artery and more rapid bleeding can occur, appearing as bright red blood in the stool. This situation is a medical emergency and will likely be accompanied by symptoms such as light-headedness or even fainting.

Why Am I Bleeding When I Poop

For most people, bright red blood in the stool doesn’t mean a terrible disease is lurking in the shadows. When it does turn out to be a more serious condition such as diverticulitis or even colorectal cancer, good treatments are available. This is why it is so important to see your doctor if you notice blood in your stool. The sooner you begin treatment, the better the opportunity to prevent disease from advancing or creating complications.