The fact that there is blood in conjunction with your poop may have different causes. Most often it is due to hemorrhoids or a crack in the rectum.
This text is about blood in the stools of adults. Blood in the stool in children and adolescents may have other causes.
The word feces is often used in health care. That’s another word for poop.
The blood may look different
The blood in or on the stool may look different:
- It can be bright red, look fresh, and be outside the stools. There may also be blood on the paper when you dry yourself or you see it in the toilet.
- The blood may be darker and more mixed in the stool.
A stool test can also show that you have small amounts of blood in the poop that are not visible.
When and where should I seek care?
Contact a health care center if you have blood in your stool. You can contact many receptions by logging in.
If it’s in a hurry
If you have one or more of the following problems, please contact a health care center or an on-call reception immediately :
- Bleeding heavily from the rectum.
- Having intense bloody diarrhea.
- You have blood in your stool and you use blood thinners.
If it is closed at the health center or on-call reception, seek care at an emergency room.
What is it?
There are several reasons why there is blood in the stool or that there is blood in connection with pooping.
Crack in the rectum opening
One of the most common reasons is that the blood comes from a small crack or a small wound in the rectum, called an anal fissure. The blood is then fresh, light red, and is found outside the pouch. It also often hurts the rectum. A crack can occur if you have constipation.
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are another common cause of bleeding. Even then, the blood is bright red and is on the outside of the pouch, or blood may come on the paper when you dry yourself after a toilet visit. You can also see blood splashes in the toilet.
Drug
Some medicines can sometimes cause gastrointestinal bleeding if you use them frequently. Examples of such drugs are the following:
- Medicines containing the active substance acetylsalicylic acid.
- Medicines belonging to a group called cox inhibitors or NSAIDs, such as diclofenac or ibuprofen.
- Blood-thinning drugs.
You need to be examined if you have blood in your stool, whether you use drugs that can cause bleeding or not. It is to rule out that it is a disease or injury that causes the bleeding.
Stomach flu
Sometimes there may be blood in the stool after a long and intense stomach illness or severe intestinal infections. This is because the intestinal mucosa has become fragile from the infection.
Food can darken the poo
The poke may be darkened by some food products. It can be beets, blueberries or black pudding. Iron tablets can also darken the pouch. It is easy to lose the darker color of blood.
Polyps of the large intestine
Some may get blood in the pouch from having polyps in the large intestine, although it is unusual. A polyp is a form of growth in the mucous membrane and looks like a bud or stalk.
Inflammatory bowel disease
You may have blood in the pouch if you have ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. Both are so-called inflammatory bowel diseases. In both diseases you also have stomach upset and diarrhea.
Broken or bleeding ulcer
Blood from a broken or bleeding ulcer in the stomach or duodenum can cause the pouch to become black. Then you may also have pain in the upper abdomen.
Colon cancer or rectal cancer
Having blood in the pox can be a symptom of the colon or rectal cancer. The blood may be both mixed with the pox, or unmixed and red. Often your stool habits also change, for example, that you need to poop more often or less frequently than before.
Investigations
It is important that you be examined by a doctor if you have had blood in your stool or in conjunction with pooping. Often you do not need treatment because the problems usually go away by themselves. But if the bleeding is due to a disease, it is important that you get a diagnosis and thus treatment.
When you see a doctor you will be told about your complaints and how long you have had them. You may also be told if you are taking any medicines. You can also have blood tests.
The doctor then examines the rectum opening, both with your finger and with a rectoscope.
Most often, the doctor wants the entire colon to be examined. You are then examined with colonoscopy or computed tomography of the colon. You will then receive a referral to the survey.
Influence and participate in your care
As a patient, you have under the Patient Act chance to affect your health.
You can seek care at any medical center or open specialist clinic you want throughout the country. Sometimes a referral to the open specialist care is required.
You should understand the information
In order for you to be involved in your care and treatment, it is important that you understand the information you receive from the healthcare staff. Ask questions if you don’t understand.
You have the opportunity to get help from an interpreter. You also have the opportunity to get help from an interpreter if you have a hearing loss.