Fresh blood in the stool: Causes and treatment

The article is professionally consulted by Gastroenterologist - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital

Fresh blood in the stool is a warning sign of many diseases of the anus and rectum such as hemorrhoids, anal fissures, rectal polyps, fibroids, etc. lead to prolonged blood loss, affecting the health status, even threatening the patient's life.

Fresh blood in the stool is a phenomenon in which there is blood when passing stool, which can be fresh blood dripping or blood clinging to the stool. In addition, patients often present with fatigue. This condition can stop after a few days or last for many days, warning signs of abnormalities related to the rectum and anus.
Most of the patients who experience symptoms of fresh blood in the stool are very ill before going to the doctor. At that time, prolonged blood loss made the disease worse, making treatment more difficult.

Symptoms of fresh bloody stools warn of many diseases in the rectal - anal area such as:
2.1 Hemorrhoids Fresh blood stools are the most common and early symptoms of hemorrhoids. Symptoms of the disease are fresh blood on the stool, sticky on the toilet paper or blood on the toilet wall, in severe cases, red blood in the stool before or after the stool. Hemorrhoids form when the venous plexus around the anus becomes excessively enlarged. The disease is divided into 3 types: internal hemorrhoids, external hemorrhoids and mixed hemorrhoids. People who often work in environments where they have to stand, sit for too long, suffer from chronic constipation, eat a lot of hot spicy foods or are pregnant,... are at high risk of hemorrhoids.
Besides the symptoms of passing fresh blood, people with hemorrhoids may also have prolapsed hemorrhoids outside the anus, causing inflammation. In addition, the patient also experienced other symptoms such as anal burning pain when defecating, fever, itching around the anal opening, anal fissure, anal abscess,...

2.2 Anal fissure Fresh blood in the stool is also a typical symptom of anal fissure. This condition causes pain when defecating, bloody stools, fresh blood may flow into drops.
The disease is common because when constipated, the patient often pushes, causing the anus to dilate, tear, causing swelling, pain, and bleeding in drops. Can cause ulcer complications, anal infection
2.3 Ulcerative colitis Blood in the stool, possibly with fresh blood and mucus in the stool is a characteristic manifestation of ulcerative colitis. In addition, the patient also has symptoms of frequent bowel movements, frequent abdominal cramps, fatigue, discomfort and possibly fever.
Ulcerative colitis can lead to dangerous complications such as an enlarged colon, colon perforation, gastrointestinal bleeding or even cancer.
2.4 Rectal polyps Bloody stools are also a warning sign that patients have rectal polyps. This is a tumor that proliferates on the lining of the colon and rectum. Most colon and rectal polyps have no clinical manifestations and are usually detected through colonoscopy.
Rectal polyps can cause long-term blood loss, affecting the patient's health. At the same time, it can become cancerous, threatening the patient's life.

2.5 Constipation Chronic constipation is also a common cause of fresh bloody stools. When defecating, the patient often has to push hard to push the stool out, creating great friction with the anal wall, causing the anal wall to scratch and bleed. In patients with constipation, blood may stick to the outside of the stool or to the end of the stool, the amount of blood may be more or less depending on the condition of the anal canal.
Constipation often appears when the patient eats unscientifically, eats a lot of hard-to-digest food, spicy food or uses stimulants for a long time,... Constipation is not dangerous but if left for a long time, it is not overcome. Recovery can lead to hemorrhoids, anal fissures or other diseases in the rectum - anus.
2.6 Rectal Cancer One of the early warning signs of colorectal cancer is bloody stools, the blood is dark red. Initially, the amount of blood is usually small, later there will be more bleeding when the cancer cells invade more into the colon. In addition, patients also experience other symptoms such as: abdominal distention, lower abdominal pain, irregular bowel movements - loose stools, nausea, urinary incontinence, unexplained weight loss, ..
2.7 Other causes Fresh blood in the stool is also a warning sign of other diseases such as diverticulitis, ischemic colitis, small bowel infarction due to mesenteric embolism, anal warts, gastrointestinal bleeding ...

Fresh blood in the stool can be a small amount of blood, stick on the toilet paper, sometimes the blood can flow in the form of a ray or flow massively, causing blood loss, the patient is easily dizzy, fainting, blood loss pressure,... This condition can reduce work efficiency and quality of life, and can be life-threatening.
Therefore, when there are symptoms of fresh blood in the stool, the patient should see a gastroenterologist as soon as possible to diagnose and treat properly, bring high efficiency, limit the risk of complications and reduce the risk of complications. prevent disease recurrence.

After having accurate examination results, the patient will be given an appropriate treatment plan depending on the cause of the disease.

In addition, patients with fresh blood in the stool also need to adjust their diet and activities as follows:
Apply a scientific diet, rich in fiber from vegetables and fruits, drink a lot of water to reduce the risk of constipation, anal fissures; Create a habit of defecation every day at a certain time, avoid pushing too hard, do not go to the toilet for too long, clean the anus after each bowel movement; Limit foods that cause heat in, constipation, bad effects on the digestive system such as: foods high in fat, sour, spicy, sweets; Eat foods rich in iron, prevent anemia such as nuts, animal liver, egg yolks, tofu, cereals, black sesame,...; Eat on time and get enough sleep; Avoid carrying excessively heavy objects, do not stand for a long time, sit in one place for a long time; Exercise every day to improve resistance, promote bowel movements, help the digestive system work well. Symptoms of fresh bloody stools, if not detected and handled properly, can lead to many dangerous health complications. Therefore, when this symptom occurs, the patient should immediately consult a gastroenterologist for timely intervention and treatment to prevent the disease from getting worse.