Blood in Stool

Finding blood in your stool can be disturbing and may also be a sign of a serious gastrointestinal disease. Blood in the stool may be red, black, or invisible (occult bleeding).

What causes bright red blood in stool?

While finding blood on the toilet paper after you wipe or seeing a little blood in your bowel movement is common, many conditions could be the cause of the blood, including:

• Hemorrhoids (see above)
• Anal fissures
  • An anal fissure is a small tear in your anus, which can open and bleed when you pass a stool. You may also have a burning or tearing sensation when you have a bowel movement.
• Ulcerative colitis (UC)
  • Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes ulcers to form in the lining of your colon. Those ulcers can cause rectal bleeding and bloody stool.
• Diverticulosis
  • Diverticulosis is a condition where weakness in your intestinal wall causes pouches known as diverticula to form. Sometimes these pouches can lead to bloody stools.
• Colon polyps
  • Polyps are growths that develop on the inner walls of your colon. Polyps can cause bleeding. Most polyps are not cancerous but can lead to cancer and must be diagnosed as soon as possible.
• Colon cancer
  • This is one of the leading sources of cancer. The sooner diagnosed the better the outcome.