This condition is when you see traces of blood on your feces or the toilet paper after wiping. There is a myriad of causes for blood in your stool. [1] The underlying cause of this symptom cannot be self-diagnosed, so you need to visit a medical practitioner. Your doctor will ask for your medical history before doing a physical examination. He may also run series of tests to determine the cause of bleeding.
Bloody stools can have causes that aren’t due to underlying diseases such as skin irritations from excessive use of toilet paper or trying to pass hard feces. [2] Common causes of bloody feces are irritation, constipation, hemorrhoids, digestive conditions, or colon cancer.
Here are nine likely causes why you are having bloody stools:
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids, also known as piles, is when you develop swollen or inflamed veins in the rectum or anus, causing discomfort and bleeding. [3] Hemorrhoids have a myriad of causes, including straining during bowel movements, obesity, or pregnancy. The common symptoms of this condition include dark feces, painful stooling, and stomachache.
Bright red blood or dark-colored feces may indicate a problem in the lower part of the digestive tract. People suffering from hemorrhoids may or may not be experience pain while defecating. Bloody stools can be self-diagnosed – you may notice bright red blood on your toilet seat or a coat of blood on your feces after a bowel movement. Anal bleeding can be mild or serious so that it drips into the toilet bowl or stains the toilet paper when wiping.