Contributed
Blood in stools is not a matter of concern always, but yes, it is better to know the reason behind it for your own satisfaction. Many a times, the blood content is so less that it is not directly visible to the human eye. Or, you can easily see it on the toilet tissue paper or after a bowel movement. Bloody stools are a signal of bleeding in the digestive tract.,
Here are 8 of the possible reasons as to why there could be blood in your stools., 1. Hemorrhoids, Hemorrhoids, also called piles, are a very common cause behind blood in stool. Hemorrhoids are nothing but swollen veins around the rectum area that lead to itching and discomfort. They can be present either inside or outside the rectum; you can even see them in the latter case. Usually, piles vanish on their own after a period of time, but you can get yourself treated by applying creams, enhancing fiber content in your body, opting for surgical methods if the case is complicated etc., If you experience a situation of blood in stool and think that it is due to piles, you should consult a doctor once so that he/she can identifies the exact cause., , 2. Anal Fissure, When the anal sphincter muscle gets damaged, mostly due to straining or constipation, the condition is known as anal fissure. Anal Fissure is mostly seen in children but adults can also experience this. It is a very common reason behind blood in stool., Luckily, thesefissures heal on their own. But if you want to reduce the extent of pain you can avoid dehydration or follow a diet rich in fiber content. Medicines are also available to lessen the pain; you can easily get them from your doctor., Statistically, every 1 out of 10 people experience anal fissure for at least once in their entire life., 3. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) as the name suggests, leads to swelling of bowels. There are two very common classifications of IBDs; Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease., If the disease is at an initial stage, the medication requires non-surgical methods such as modifying agents or steroids. Unfortunately, if you are a victim of this disease to a serious extent, you may require a special surgery to cure this., It is advisable that you consult a good doctor if you sense any of the symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease., 4. Peptic Ulcer, A sore is formed on the stomach lining which is known as Peptic Ulcer. It causes the stomach acid to turn black in color which leads to black motions., People have a misconception that the major cause behind ulcers is stress. Other factors such as steroids, bacterial infections are also equally responsible for ulcers., Peptic Ulcer can lead to blood in stool which can be really painful and risky for your life., An effective way to reduce your chances of Peptic Ulcer is to quit smoking. Stress at times makes a person change his diet and the way he or she lives. You may start consuming more of alcohol and become a smoke addict if you are stressed out. And this is what leads to ulcers. Thus, be very careful with what you are habitual to and what not. Any wrong habit can prove out to be deadly for you in the long run!, 5. Diverticular Disease, Diverticulitis and Diverticulosis are the two Diverticular Diseases which results in blood in stool. Due to weakness in colonic wall, diverticula (pouches) appears in the colon area which can grow to centimeters long. The main cause behind diverticula is not yet known, but a low-fiber diet is held responsible for this to an extent. At the time of abdominal surgery, one can stop the bleeding from the diverticula., Diverculitis develops if the diverticula get infected. Thus, first the infection gets treated followed by the diverticulitis. You need to undergo a surgery if required., 6. Radiation Damage, In medical language, Radiation Damage is known as Radiation Proctopathy. The harm that is caused to the rectum because of radiotherapy done to cure cancer of the ovaries or womb is what Radiation Damage or Radiation Proctopathy means. Blood in stool is a side effect of this which is well informed to the patient in advance. It is expected that this side effect goes away with time. But if not, one should definitely consult his/her doctor., 7. Colorectal Cancer, It affects the rectum area or the large intestine. There are not first-symptoms of this cancer. But eventually, you will observe stomach pain or blood in stool as few symptoms of Colorectal Cancer., If you experience bloody stools, you should assume Colorectal Cancer as the cause behind this. There are many other reasons as mentioned above. Making assumptions of your own will lead to unnecessary stress and anxiety., 8. Esophageal Problems, Tearing of the esophagus line or varicose veins present in the esophagus results in a lot of blood loss and could be a reason behind the blood in your stools., The doctor will immediately detect if any such problem is existing and will provide you with a treatment. You just need to follow his instructions to get rid of this health problem., A lot many reasons can still be added to the list. If you see blood in your motions, you should make a visit to the doctor then and there itself. Ignoring it or delaying the same can intensify the problem even more. At the same time, you should not be too stressed about this. It is not something deadly if you take proper precautions. More than 50 percent of the population in the country experience this and get it cured by following what their doctor tells them to do.