Symptom

Rectal Bleeding

Overview | Possible Causes | Care and Treatment | HOME REMEDies | When to Call the Doctor | References

Rectal Bleeding

Overview

Rectal bleeding can refer to any blood that passes from your anus, although rectal bleeding is usually assumed to refer to bleeding from your lower colon or rectum. Your rectum makes up the lower portion of your large intestine.

Rectal bleeding may show up as blood in your stool, on the toilet paper or in the toilet bowl. Blood that results from rectal bleeding is usually bright red in color, but occasionally can be dark maroon.

Possible Causes

Causes of rectal bleeding can range from mild to serious. Mild causes associated with rectal bleeding include:

Anal fissures or small tears in the lining of the anus
Constipation or passing hard, dry stools
Hemorrhoids or veins in the anus or rectum that become irritated
Polyps, or small tissue growths in the lining of the rectum or colon that can bleed after passing stool

More serious rectal bleeding causes include:

Anal cancer
Colon cancer
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which includes Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease
Intestinal infection, or infections caused by bacteria, such as salmonella

Less common rectal bleeding causes include blood-clotting disorders and allergic reactions to certain food types.

Care & Treatment

Rectal bleeding treatments depend upon the cause and severity.

You may relieve the pain and discomfort of hemorrhoids by taking warm baths. Applying over-the-counter or prescription creams can also reduce irritation.

Your doctor may perform more invasive treatments if your hemorrhoid pain is severe or the hemorrhoids are very large. These include rubber band ligation, laser treatments, and surgical removal of the hemorrhoid.

Like hemorrhoids, anal fissures may resolve on their own. Using stool softeners can address issues with constipation and help anal fissures to heal. Infections can require antibiotic therapy to eliminate the bacteria.

Colon cancers may require more invasive and long-term treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, to remove the cancer and reduce the risk of recurrence.

Home Remedies

Conditions like anal fissures can go away on their own over time or be treated with ointments. Hemorrhoids are another common cause of rectal bleeding that can be treated by either resolving any constipation issues, changing your diet and water intake, or possibly having surgery.

One more severe cause of rectal bleeding can be cancer. If this is the case, your healthcare provider will develop a treatment plan to treat the cancer, often removing any tumors.

Depending on the cause of the bleeding, your rectal bleeding can actually stop on its own. However, you need to pay attention to your body and keep track of the bleeding. If it happens one time and then stops, take note of it, but it most likely isn’t an emergency. If you have heavy rectal bleeding or are regularly seeing blood, reach out to your healthcare provider to get immediate care. It’s always a good idea to let your healthcare provider know about any rectal bleeding you have experienced.