We know that this is a topic that makes many people blush, but we shouldn’t be ashamed to discuss matters related to our health. Often times it is essential to communicate with the doctor about our symptoms, even those that make you embarrassed or those that you think they’re not important. Blood in stool is a particularly serious symptom and you shouldn’t ignore it.
But what makes it appear?
There may be lots of causes that make blood appear in the stool, which is why the best idea is to go to a professional that will give you the best advice. Depending on age, predisposition to certain diseases, sex and other factors, there can be lots of causes, and the color of the blood you see can be a clue.
Color clues
If the blood you see there is darker, almost black, this indicates that it comes from the upper GI tract, meaning you stomach or your esophagus. In this case, the possible cause could be an ulcer. If you know you have problems with your stomach, then most likely this is the link. In fact, ulcers are not that rare: 10% of the people will have one at some point. The good news is that the treatment is quite simple: take your meds, reduce stress, nix smoking and cut out alcohol.
A bright red or maroon color of the blood you see in your stool may be an indication of the fact that the problem is somewhere in the small intestine or the colon. Hemorrhoids usually are the cause for bright red blood which you see either in the toilet bowl or on the toilet paper. In this case, a diet rich in fibers could help and prevent them. Another cause might also be an anal fissure, which is a tear in the tissue that is triggered by lots of causes, from childbirth to constipation.
It is important to keep in mind that you shouldn’t assume on your own that the bleeding is caused by a hemorrhoid. Remember that doctors have seen almost everything, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of, and you really don’t want to take the risk of overlooking a serious disease. In some cases an anal bleeding may even be caused by colorectal cancer. However, it’s hard to tell since here the blood leaked cannot be seen with the naked eyes.
As such, the best thing you can do is to prevent, prevent, prevent! Always pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you, choose a varied and healthy diet, hydrate yourself and get enough rest. Stress is also one of the most dangerous factors, so try to lead a balanced life.
