Blood in stool should i go to doctor

Here are five possible causes of blood in your stool. An anal fissure is a small cut or tear. This cut is located in the tissue lining of the anus and appears similar to a paper cut or chapped lips.

Passing a large, hard stool can often cause an anal fissure. As one of the common causes of blood in stool, anal fissures can cause pain each time you go to the restroom. Hemorrhoids are cushions of tissue in your anal canal that contain blood vessels.

When these cushions enlarge, it can cause problems, including bleeding after a bowel movement. Benign tumors on the wall of the large intestine are called polyps. Colon cancer and polyps are both potential causes of blood in stool. Over time, this bleeding can cause moderate or severe iron deficiency anemia. Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease. As a result, you can develop inflammation, irritation, and ulcers in your colon.

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This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Request Appointment. Symptoms Rectal bleeding. Definition Causes When to see a doctor. Products and services. Once the bleeding has stopped, your doctor will develop a plan to treat the cause of the bleeding. Blood in Stool. What is blood in the stool? Symptoms that are often present in conjunction with blood in your stool are: Abdominal pain Fatigue Weakness Shortness of breath Pale skin Diagnosis of blood in stool A primary care doctor should evaluate you if you find blood in your stool.

To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor may order a series of diagnostics including: Hemoccult test — this simple test may detect hidden blood in your stool, but cannot determine where the cause of bleeding. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy EGD — during this procedure, your doctor inserts an endoscope into the stomach to determine the source of the bleeding.

Nasogastric lavage — helps your doctor see where the bleeding is occurring; during the procedure, the contents of the stomach are removed to determine if the stomach is bleeding, if there is not evidence of bleeding in the stomach, the cause of the bleeding is likely in the lower digestive tract.