what does it mean to find blood in your stool?
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Blood in stool means there is bleeding somewhere in your digestive tract. Sometimes the amount of blood is so small that it can only be detected by a fecal occult test (which checks for hidden blood in the stool).
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Colon cancer and hemorrhoids are very different conditions, but they can produce blood in the stool. Seeing blood in the stool can be alarming, especially if you have never experienced it before. Most likely, you may have been straining when having a bowel movement and the bleeding is due to a hemorrhoid.
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Because stool is largely the result of what foods you eat, black specks in stool are commonly a result of your diet. Some exceptions exist, though. Black specks or flecks can be old blood present in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
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['A change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or more-frequent bowel movements.', 'Dark maroon or bright red blood in stool.', 'Narrow stool.', "A feeling that your bowel doesn't empty completely.", 'Abdominal pain.', 'Unexplained weight loss.', 'Weakness or fatigue.']
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If your results are positive for either type of fecal occult blood test, it means you likely have bleeding somewhere in your digestive tract. But it does not necessarily mean you have cancer.
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All shades of brown and even green are considered normal. Only rarely does stool color indicate a potentially serious intestinal condition. Stool color is generally influenced by what you eat as well as by the amount of bile — a yellow-green fluid that digests fats — in your stool.
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Causes of blood in the stool range from harmless, annoying conditions of the gastrointestinal tract such as hemorrhoids and anal tears (anal fissures) from straining against hard stools with constipation to serious conditions such as cancer. Blood in the stool should be evaluated by a health care professional.
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Bright red blood or maroon-colored stools usually indicate a problem in the lower part of the digestive tract such as hemorrhoids or diverticulitis. After getting a medical history and doing a physical exam, the health care provider may order tests to determine the cause of bleeding.
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Blood in the stool may be due to diseases of stomach or small intestine, the rectum or colon, the anus, or systemic disease. Common causes are outlined below. Diseases of the stomach and small intestine: Inflammatory bowel disease.
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Most cases of black stools are from eating black foods or iron supplements. Black stools caused by blood indicate a problem in the upper digestive tract. Blood in the stool can be detected through a stool test. Black stool along with pain, vomiting, or diarrhea is cause to see a doctor right away.
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Constipation and straining to pass a large bowel movement can lead to smears of bright red blood on the toilet paper. Not drinking enough water, low-fiber diets and a lack of exercise can lead to constipation.
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Rectal Bleeding Bright red blood in the stool typically indicates that there is bleeding in the rectum or colon, which may be a sign of colon or rectal cancer. Rectal bleeding can also be caused by hemorrhoids.
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If you or your child's results show leukocytes in stool, it means there is some kind of inflammation in the digestive tract. The more leukocytes that are found, the higher the chance that you or your child has a bacterial infection. If your provider thinks you have an infection, he or she may order a stool culture.
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Red Blood Cells (RBC) in the stool may be associated with a parasitic or bacterial infection, or an inflammatory bowel condition such as ulcerative colitis. Colorectal cancer, anal fistulas, and hemorrhoids should also be ruled out.
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You might not know you have a polyp until your doctor finds it during an examination of your bowel. But some people with colon polyps experience: Rectal bleeding. This can be a sign of colon polyps or cancer or other conditions, such as hemorrhoids or minor tears in your anus.
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A small amount of bright red blood on the surface of the stool or found on the toilet paper is often caused by a small rectal tear (fissure) or hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are common during pregnancy and after delivery because: The larger uterus places more pressure on the blood vessels in the lower belly.
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Common symptoms include: A change in your bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or more-frequent bowel movements. Dark or red blood in stool. Mucus in stool.