Most people get perplexed when they see fresh red blood in their stool or on the toilet paper while wiping. It is a common feature of lower gastrointestinal bleeding, generally from the rectum or the sigmoid colon or the anal area. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding, that is from the stomach and esophagus is clotted unless it is massive from the stomach.
Usually the color of stool can give a hint whether bleeding is from stomach or from lower gastrointestinal tract. The color from rectum and lower colon may vary from bright red to maroon but seldom tarrying black, which is a classical feature of bleeding from stomach.
Bright red blood may be streaked to the stool itself or it may fall in drops. In some cases small amount of blood is lost which can only be detected by chemical test of stool. Bleeding from rectum and anus during bowel movements can be accompanied with pain or without pain, depending on the underlying cause.
There are several lower gastrointestinal disorders which can cause blood in stool. Below are given the most frequent and important causes.
What Causes Fresh Blood In Stool?
Causes of bright and fresh blood in stool can be from the lesions in anus, rectum, and lower colon in majority of cases.
Anal lesion causes:
- Fissure: They are minor tears in the lining of anus which can cause fresh bleeding during each bowel movement. Especially when the stool is hard, it scratches against the anal area and produces fresh bleeding from the minor tears.
- Foreign body: A sharp foreign body inserted in anal area can cause bleeding. In homosexual patients mild bleeding should suggest due to a foreign body insertion in anus.
- Carcinoma of anus: Ulcers develop on the lining of annual region in cancerous growth on anus. These ulcers can bleed.
Rectal lesions:
- Piles: Pile or hemorrhoids is one of the main causes for fresh bleeding from anus. Many people are known to suffer from piles. They are similar to varicose veins present on leg. The rectal veins become dilated and they often bleed while defecating. Usually in piles blood appears at the last after defecation in internal pile. External piles can bleed anytime and also during bowel movement.
- Polyps: It is second largest cause of fresh blood in stool. Polyps are small growths in rectal region. They can be cancerous or non cancerous.
- Foreign body: Although very rare, a foreign body in rectum can cause bleeding from anus. While giving an enema the nozzle may cause trauma to the rectal wall causing bleeding.
- Malignant growth: One of the possibilities is invasion of rectum by pelvic malignancy.
Colonic lesions:
- Bacterial or amoebic dysentery can cause fresh bleeding in stool.
- Ulcerative colitis.
- Carcinoma of colon: Colon cancer is common. It has to be ruled out if any fresh bleeding occurs during a bowel movement, especially in elderly individuals.
- Irritable bowel syndrome.
Fresh blood in stool is also observed in blood disorders or when a patient is on anticoagulant therapy. It may also occur in patients, who are taking drugs such as aspirin, and other NSAIDs drugs, along with anticoagulants.
Remedies For Fresh Blood In Stool And No Pain
Pain in abdomen and anus is present in majority cases of fresh blood in stool. However, in piles there is no pain. Large or small amount of blood is present on the surface of stool or drops of blood fall on the commode after the end of defecation without pain.
The bleeding is preceded by strained passage of hard stools. In order to stop fresh blood during each bowel movement you have to remove the cause which triggers bleeding and that is hard stool. Constipation is the main cause for hard stool. To reduce constipation, eat more of fiber containing foods.
Drink enough water throughout the day. Exercise helps to fight constipation. Homeopathic medicines are useful in stopping bleeding caused due to hemorrhoids.