Is Blood in Your Stool a Cause For Concern?

When you see blood in your stool, you may instantly feel alarmed. Although rectal bleeding can signal a serious medical issue, it doesn’t guarantee that you have a major medical issue. However, because bloody stool poses a health risk, it’s always important to monitor it and seek care when necessary. 

At Midwest Hemorrhoid Treatment Center in Town and Country, Missouri, Betsy Clemens, MD, leads our team in the diagnosis and treatment of rectal disorders, including the presence of blood in your stool. 

Ignoring blood in your stool can pose a serious risk to your health. You could be leaving a severe medical condition untreated, making you vulnerable to dangerous complications. So, in this month’s blog, we discuss what blood in your stool can indicate and how to know when to take the “wait-and-see” approach and when to seek professional care.

Common causes of bloody stools

Many things can cause bleeding in any part of your digestive system, including your stomach, small intestine, esophagus, colon, and rectum. If any of these organs bleed, you can have blood in your stool. 

Common issues that can affect your digestive system and lead to bloody stools include:

• Constipation
• Hemorrhoids
• Anal fissure
• Swelling and inflammation in your colon (diverticulitis)
• Stomach ulcer
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Medications such as iron supplements 

Colorectal cancer doesn’t typically cause any symptoms, but when it does, bloody stool is a common one. Non-cancerous growths in your colon (polyps) can also cause blood in your stool. Although polyps are benign, they often turn cancerous.  

Because colorectal cancer and polyps cause rectal bleeding and require prompt treatment, it’s essential to monitor the bleeding and seek medical care. 

Do you need treatment for bloody stools?

Even though blood in your stool can signal cancer or colon polyps, it can also indicate something less serious, such as hemorrhoids. To help you better determine if you need quick professional medical care, these are some symptoms that typically require a trip to our office:

• You’ve had blood in your stool for more than 3 weeks
• You’ve had changes in stool consistency for more than 3 weeks
• You have stomach pain in addition to bleeding
• Your bloody stools don’t have a clear explanation
• You have pain in your bottom in addition to bleeding
• Your bleeding is heavy or accompanied by fever, chills, and dizziness

All of these things indicate that your issue is more serious than something like hemorrhoids and needs to be examined by an expert like Dr. Clemens. 

Call or use our online booking feature today to schedule an appointment for severe or unexplained bloody stools.