Is bloody stool a sign of hemorrhoids?

Question
Hello doctor,
I have a lot of blood in my stool. The doctor asked me to ask if blood in the stool is a sign of hemorrhoids? Ask your doctor for advice. I thank you.
Anonymous customer
Answer
Answered by Specialist I Dong Xuan Ha - Gastroenterologist - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Ha Long International Hospital.
Hello,
With the question "Is blood in the stool a sign of hemorrhoids?" , the doctor would like to answer as follows:
Blood in the stool is one of the dangerous symptoms of lower gastrointestinal disease. With the age of the child, the common cause is hemorrhoids and anal fissures, usually due to a lack of fiber in the diet, lack of water, lack of exercise, causing apple stools, the blood in this case is usually bright red. Levels range from light like absorbent paper when wiping, clinging to stool to dripping or spraying blood in a stream with burning pain or protruding hemorrhoids out of the anus when defecating.
However, this is also a symptom of dangerous diseases such as ulcerative colitis - rectal bleeding, rectal tumors or especially dangerous such as anal and colorectal cancer.
You need to go to the doctor right away to accurately diagnose the disease, rule out malignancies and treat immediately. The doctor will examine the child comprehensively to orient to the diagnosis of the disease, from diet, activities, bowel habits, symptoms of bloody stools, when to start and signs other related.
Surely you will need to do lower gastrointestinal endoscopy, you need to do some blood tests, abdominal ultrasound, electrocardiogram to ensure safety. Your child will then have his or her colon cleansed with oral medication or an enema. It is recommended to do endoscopy under anesthesia because it will reduce the risk of complications during the endoscopy, the doctor will observe more closely and in case of need for treatment intervention, it will be easier and more accurate.
Through endoscopy, the doctor will determine the exact cause of the bleeding and, depending on the cause, will have a specific treatment plan for you. With bleeding caused by mild hemorrhoids, it is possible to only need medical treatment or hemorrhoid ligation with a rubber band through laparoscopic, in case of anal fissure, sometimes only medical treatment is needed along with the treatment. Change your diet and lifestyle. Some other causes, such as low rectal polyps that cause bleeding, can also be removed by the doctor. In cases of bleeding due to ulcerative colitis or cancer, the treatment is more complicated, but the treatment of the disease is always the same "The sooner, the better". Therefore, you must go to the doctor soon, do not self-medicate in this case.
If you still have questions about having a lot of blood in your stool, you can go to a hospital under Vinmec Health System for further examination and advice. Thank you for trusting and sending questions to Vinmec. I wish you a lot of health.
Best regards!