By Dr Joel Enejeta
Blood in the stool also known as haematochezia can be frightening, whether you discover it while wiping after a bowel movement or from a test ordered by your health practitioner. While blood in stool can signal a serious problem, it doesn’t always.
Rectal bleeding is the passage of blood through the anus. The bleeding may result in bright red blood in the stool as well as maroon coloured or black stool.
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). At other times it may visible on toilet tissue or in the toilet after a bowel movement as bright red blood. Bleeding that happens higher up in the digestive tract may make stool appear black and tarry.
Causes of blood in stool ranges from harmless, annoying conditions of the gastrointestinal tract such as haemorrhoids or anal fissures, to serious conditions such as cancer.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MAIN CAUSE OF BLOOD IN STOOL
- DIVERTICULA- Diverticula are small pouches that project from the colon wall. Usually diverticula don’t cause problems, but sometimes they can bleed or become infected.
- ANAL FISSURE- A small cut or tear in the tissue lining the anus similar to the cracks that occur in chapped lips or a paper cut. Fissures are often caused by passing a large, hard stool and can be painful.
- ENTEROCOLITIS- Inflammation of the colon. Among the more common causes are infections or inflammatory bowel disease.
- ANGIODYSPLASIA-A condition in which fragile, abnormal blood vessels lead to bleeding.
- PEPTIC ULCERS-An open sore in the lining of the stomach or duodenum, the upper end of the small intestine. Many peptic ulcers are caused by infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Long-term use or high doses of anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen can also cause ulcers.
- POLYPS OR CANCER-Polyps are benign growths that can grow, bleed, and become cancerous. It often causes bleeding that is not noticeable with the naked eye.
- OESOPHAGEAL DISORDERS- Varicose veins of the oesophagus or tears in the oesophagus can lead to severe blood loss.
- HAEMORRHOIDS- these are dilated or swollen veins in the rectum or around the skin of the anus. It is also a common cause of rectal bleeding.