5 Medical problems That Cause Bloody Diarrhea
Red toilet water is worrisome unless you've eaten beets before. Rectal hemorrhage, or bloody stool, can be a sign of numerous medical disorders, some serious.
Bloody diarrhea can cause blood in the toilet bowl, on your stool, or on the toilet paper after you wipe. Red can be brilliant, dark, or even tar-like. When blood interacts with digestive chemicals longer, it becomes darker.
When it originates low in your colon or rectum, bright red blood is less likely to be dangerous. But, dark red blood in your feces may indicate internal bleeding and require medical attention.
Rabia De Latour, MD, an assistant professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, advised anyone with blood in their stool to consult a doctor.
"As a gastroenterologist, if you encounter someone with new rectal bleeding, especially if it's more than a few drops on the tissue or comes with a really painful bowel movement, you're conducting a colonoscopy," Dr. De Latour told Health.
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are a typical cause of bloody stool, although they're harmless. Hemorrhoids are rectum blood vessels.
"Everyone has them," NYU Langone gastroenterologist Lisa Ganjhu, DO, told Health. Hemorrhoids are inflamed blood vessels, yet they are constantly present.
Hemorrhoids often leave a little amount of bright red blood on the stool, toilet, or toilet paper.
Dr. Ganjhu said an inflamed hemorrhoid is bloody. Hemorrhoid blood is vivid crimson and coating your stool, Dr. De Latour said.
Diarrhea can induce straining and bleeding. Hemorrhoids usually stop bleeding.
"It's a vein, not an artery," Dr. De Latour said. "Hemorrhoids quit bleeding on their own."
Dr. De Latour emphasized that chronic hemorrhoids are unusual. Dr. De Latour advised seeing a doctor if you have hemorrhoids and are bleeding.
Prevent hemorrhoids by doing these:
- Fiber-rich foods
- Employ fiber or a stool softener.
- Hydrate well.
- Prevent bowel straining.
- Avoid extended potty sessions.
- Anal fissures
- Minor anal fissures occur.
Pain and bleeding are common with mouth corner cracks. Anal fissures do too. "Anus tears hurt," Dr. De Latour stated. "It's like skin—not like the rectum where you don't have any sensation." The fundamental distinction between anal fissures and rectum hemorrhoids is pain. An anal fissure causes painful defecation and bleeding.
Anal fissures have many causes. Constipation and straining usually cause them. You shred your anus skin pushing feces out. Chronic diarrhea and delivery cause anal fissures.
Depending on the size and location of the rip, anal fissures may bleed bright crimson and stain the tissue or bowl. "That can be a lot of blood if it's over a vein," said Dr. Ganjhu. Again, consult your doctor if you see blood, even if it's from a minor cut.
Preventing anal fissures:
- avoiding constipation
- Fiber-rich diets
- Hard stool laxatives
Inflammatory Bowel Disorder
Inflammatory Bowel Disorder (IBD), which causes digestive system inflammation, can cause bloody diarrhea. Dr. De Latour said bleeding is more common in ulcerative colitis (UC) than Crohn's disease, the two main IBD disorders.
Ulcers can result from colon inflammation, especially UC. When ulcers form in the rectum, large intestine, and upper GI tract, UC bleeding can be bright red or darker red. Ulcers cause bloody stool.
Due to losing inflammatory tissue, IBD flares can induce bloody diarrhea. "Controlled inflammatory bowel disease or Crohn's disease is typical," stated Dr. Ganjhu. "But if there's a flare with a lot of inflammation and irritation, you'll get diarrhea and all the tissue sloughing."
Such attacks may cause additional mucus and blood, but don't worry. If you haven't been diagnosed with IBD—disease Crohn's or UC—blood in your stool is a warning indication.
Proctitis also causes rectal bleeding (inflammation of the rectum). STIs and food poisoning can cause proctitis, which is part of IBD. Radiation proctitis can also occur after cancer treatment.
IBD mechanisms are unknown. You can't prevent IBD, but you can reduce flare-ups:
- Nonsmoking
- Immunizations
- Colorectal and cervical cancer screening
- Discussing depression or anxiety with your doctor
- Bone density testing
Infection
- Infectious colitis and food poisoning cause rectal bleeding most often.
- Diverticulitis: Inflammation of colon wall diverticula causes another infection. They're "almost like wrinkles" caused by intestinal pressure weakening the colon wall, according to Dr. De Latour. Diverticulitis bleeding may require surgery to prevent a recurrence.
- Hygiene prevents GI illnesses. Safe sex and condom use reduce the risk of STIs
Colorectal cancer
- Increasing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and decreasing animal fats in the diet
- Low-dose aspirin (although research is limited regarding the association between aspirin and the risk of developing cancer)
- Exercising
- Healthy weight
- Alcohol Reduction
- Nonsmoking
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