At
many points in our human lives, we shall experience blood in stool more times
than we care to remember. Even babies pass stools with visible traces of
blood in them! In short, royals and peasants, young and old are
bound to have them sooner or later.
The
question then will be "Is it normal to pass stool with blood in it?"
Well, the answer depends on many factors, as the following article will show. You may have a bleeding hemorrhoid.
Description
Blood
in feces varies in color from bright red and maroon to black and tarry although
other cases are invisible to the naked eye. In the latter case, you have
occult blood in your feces that can only be detected by a fecal occult blood
test.
For
visible blood in stool, you can tell the origin of the blood whether it is from
the rectum, the colon, or the anus from the color itself. Thus, when the
blood is bright red, then its point of origin is the rectum, anus or sigmoid
colon while dark red/maroon blood come from the right colon or the transverse
colon. Then there is the black, tarry, and malodorous stool called
melena. This time, its point of origin is generally the upper
gastrointestinal tract. You have a case of melena if your stool tested
for the presence of 200 milliliters minimum of blood.
Causes
Now
here lies the answer to the question of whether blood in stool is cause for
concern. The answer, as previously implied, ultimately depends on the
underlying causes that lead to the blood being mixed into the stool.
Your
doctor will order tests to be done to arrive at a final and correct diagnosis,
said tests including physical examination of your anal area either through the
use of a gloved finger or through medical equipment like anoscope, proctoscope
or sigmoidoscope as well as laboratory examinations like the fecal occult blood
tests. Now, there are many causes of blood in your stool that will
include the following:
Anal fissure - Tear in the lining of the anal canal
Bleeding Hemorrhoid - A hemorrhoid that has ruptured.
Colon cancer - Highly curable when caught in its early stages,
of which blood in stool is often one of the first signs
Colon polyps - Fleshy growths on the large intestines'
linings
Crohn's disease - Chronic inflammatory disease of the
intestines
Diverticulitis - The diverticuli in the colon rupture.
Hemorrhoids - Swollen and inflamed veins in the rectal and
anal areas
Peptic Ulcer - A hole in the gut lining of the esophagus,
stomach or duodenum
Stomach Cancer - Also affects lymph nodes and nearby
organs
Mallory-Weiss tear - Tear in the esophagus due to violent
vomiting
Or
it can be as simple as foods and supplements consumed that caused
reddish/blackish stools to appear. For example, iron supplements, black
licorice, lead, and even Pepto-Bismol can cause the stool to turn black while
foods like tomato juice and beets can make feces acquire a reddish color.
In
conclusion, blood in stool is cause for concern when you notice any changes in
bowel habits that do not resolve themselves in a few days' time. Look for
changes in color and consistency, odor and frequency of the feces. If
these changes trouble your peace of mind or cause physical pain, then a trip to
the doctor is necessary. Before then, don't trouble yourself by worrying
too much.
