What happens if you have bloody poop

The blood that you notice in your poop or when you wipe could be coming from your rectum, your lower colon, or other areas of your digestive system. The small amount of red blood that you may notice coating your poop, blotting your toilet paper, or dripping into the toilet bowl are all most commonly coming from the rectum. But blood in your poop can also come from other areas of your digestive system. For example: A gastric ulcer, which is an open sore that develops on the inside lining of your stomach, can cause bleeding in your G.

Unless you happen to be a gastroenterologist in which case, very cool! In general, any bleeding in your gastrointestinal tract happens because blood vessels are exposed and bleeding into the G. This is always unusual and worth investigating, but the actual underlying reason for this bleeding varies based on the disease process and the location. Here are the most common reasons you might be pooping blood.

Around three out of four adults will deal with these piles of swollen anal or rectal veins at some point in their lives, according to the Mayo Clinic 3.

So, if you have hemorrhoids, you're in good though potentially uncomfortable company. You can get hemorrhoids when you strain too much when trying to poop , sit on the toilet for too long or have diarrhea or constipation, according to the Mayo Clinic. Pregnancy, which often causes constipation and increases pressure on your lower body including your anus , is another main cause.

And increased body weight can also be a risk factor. Here are some of the other symptoms of hemorrhoids, per the Mayo Clinic:. Blood from hemorrhoids will typically be bright red. You usually get an anal fissure when you expel an extraordinarily hard or large poop, according to the Mayo Clinic 4.

As you can imagine, that can cause pain and bleeding. Other causes of anal fissure include constipation , chronic diarrhea , and even giving birth, according to the Mayo Clinic 4. According to the Cleveland Clinic 5 , complications of these common pouches include rectal bleeding.

These pouches can cause bleeding when they erode into blood vessels. According to the Mayo Clinic 6 , a polyp is a small mass of cells that can form on the lining of your colon also known as your large intestine.

That might sound surprising, since you may only associate E. But a healthy amount of E. But certain strains of E. A peptic ulcer is an open sore that develops either on the inside lining of your stomach gastric ulcer or the upper portion of your small intestine duodenal ulcer , per the Mayo Clinic 2.

These ulcers can happen due to bacterial infections and the use of painkillers like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium. These pockets or diverticula are extremely common. Sometimes diverticula can start bleeding, but this bleeding usually stops on its own. Usually, these pockets do not cause symptoms or require treatment unless they become infected, which is when a condition called diverticulitis occurs.

Infected and inflamed diverticula are often painful and can cause rectal bleeding, usually a moderate rush of blood that flows for a few seconds. Proctitis occurs when the tissues that make up the rectum become inflamed, often resulting in pain and bleeding. Colitis occurs when the tissues lining the colon become inflamed. A type of colitis called ulcerative colitis can also cause ulcers, or open, progressive sores, that are prone to bleeding.

Treatments for proctitis and colitis vary, depending on the causes and range from antibiotics to surgery. Bacterial infections can cause inflammation of the colon and stomach, causing diarrhea that may contain mucus and spots of blood. Viral gastroenteritis does not typically cause bloody diarrhea. Treatment for gastroenteritis usually involves fluids, rest, and antibiotics or antivirals, depending on the cause. Unprotected sexual intercourse that involves the anal area can spread a wide range of viral and bacterial diseases.

These can cause inflammation of the anus and rectum. Inflammation, if it occurs, increases the likelihood of bleeding. Treatment for STIs usually involves either an antibiotic, antiviral, or antifungal medication, depending if the cause is bacterial, viral, or fungal. Weakened rectal tissues can allow a portion of the rectum to push forward or bulge outside of the anus, usually resulting in pain and, almost always, bleeding. Prolapse is more common in older adults than in younger people.

Some people with this condition may require surgery to correct it. Polyps are noncancerous, abnormal growths. When polyps grow on the lining of the rectum or colon they can cause irritation, inflammation, and minor bleeding. In many cases, a doctor will remove polyps so they can be tested for signs of cancer and to avoid the risk of them becoming cancerous. Cancer that impacts the colon or rectum can cause irritation, inflammation, and bleeding. As many as 48 percent of people with colorectal cancer have experienced rectal bleeding.

Bleeding from the bottom rectal bleeding. Check if you're bleeding from the bottom You might be bleeding from the bottom if you have: blood on your toilet paper red streaks on the outside of your poo pink water in the toilet bowl blood in your poo or bloody diarrhoea very dark, smelly poo this can be blood mixed in poo A small amount of one-off bleeding can often go away on its own without needing treatment.

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:. Urgent advice: Get advice from now if:. Ask your GP practice for an urgent appointment. There are two types of diverticular disease.

The simple presence of diverticula is called diverticulosis. Sometimes, though, diverticula become infected or inflamed. When that happens, the disease is called diverticulitis. Both forms of diverticular disease can cause pain and blood in the stool. When diverticular disease causes bleeding, it will usually appear suddenly and be red or maroon in color. Diverticula grow out of weaknesses in the wall of your colon.

Sometimes they can grow to be several centimeters in size. The disease is often blamed on a low-fiber diet, but the true cause is unknown. A surgeon can stop bleeding from diverticula during an endoscopy or abdominal surgery.

Diverticula can be treated in or out of a hospital. Diverticulitis can often be successfully treated with antibiotics. Ischemic colitis happens when the blood vessels that supply the large intestine are narrowed or blocked. Most cases of ischemic colitis happen in elderly people. The condition can be short-term or long-term.

Symptoms include:. Most cases of ischemic colitis last a short time and resolve on their own. Sometimes, though, people with severe cases of ischemic colitis need to be hospitalized. Patients with severe disease may need intravenous IV fluids, antibiotics, and bowel rest, or a restricted diet.

Unfortunately, surgery for ischemic colitis is very dangerous. Sometimes, what looks like bloody stool is really just coloring from something you've eaten. Dyes used in some fruit punch and gelatin can make your stool red. Beets may do the same thing. Blood in the stool can have a number of causes. Hemorrhoids and anal fissures are annoying and painful, but not harmful. Some causes of gastrointestinal bleeding may require surgery, including upper GI bleeds, polyps, angiodysplasia, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticular disease, and ischemic colitis.

Sometimes, blood in the stool can be a symptom of something serious, like cancer. Blood in the stool may also be a false alarm. It is important to see a physician if you find blood in your stool.

It can be scary to see blood on toilet tissue or in the bowl, and you might be tempted to ignore it and hope it goes away. But because colorectal cancer is a leading cause of death, even for people under the age of 50, you should never ignore blood in your stool. Gas pain? Stool issues? Sign up for the best tips to take care of your stomach. Diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding: a practical guide for clinicians.

World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. Saleem S, Thomas AL. Management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding by an internist. Sonnenberg A. Timing of endoscopy in gastrointestinal bleeding. United European Gastroenterol J. Jung K, Moon W. Role of endoscopy in acute gastrointestinal bleeding in real clinical practice: an evidence-based review.

World J Gastrointest Endosc. Anal fissure. Updated June 11, Salati, SA. Anal fissure — an extensive update. Pol Przegl Chir ;— A retrospective study of patients with colorectal polyps. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench. Readability of colorectal cancer online information: a brief report. Int J Prev Med. Colorectal adenoma to carcinoma progression is accompanied by changes in gene expression associated with ageing, chromosomal instability, and fatty acid metabolism.