By Dr. A. Minocha,   author of  "How To Stop Heartburn: Simple Ways to Heal Heartburn and Acid Reflux" and "Natural Stomach Care: Treating and Preventing Digestive Disorders with Best of Eastern and Western Therapies"

Occasional blood in stool does not require medical attention

Is it a Myth or a Fact? Find out below

A very commonly heard expression is, "Oh I just had blood once!" Blood in stool can be due to simple causes like hemorrhoids. It may also be a signal of more ominous problems like polyps or cancer. Polyps and cancer usually do not bleed continuously. Rather, intermittent bleeding is the rule. Similarly the amount of blood should not be a deciding factor and you should always talk to your doctor. The same reasoning applies if you are given stool cards to check for inapparent blood in stools. Usually a three pack is given. Not infrequently, only one or two of those three may be positive for blood. Whether it is one, two or all the three cards, the management is generally the same.

More Facts or Myths

Blood in Stool

Blood in the stool can be bright red, maroon in color, black and tarry, or occult (not visible to the naked eye). Causes of blood in stool range from harmless, annoying conditions of the gastrointestinal tract such as hemorrhoids to serious conditions such as cancer. Blood in the stool should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.

Rectal bleeding (known medically as hematochezia) refers to passage of bright red blood from the anus, often mixed with stool and/or blood clots. Most rectal bleeding comes from the colon, rectum, or anus. The color of the blood during rectal bleeding often depends on the location of the bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. Generally, the closer the bleeding site is to the anus, the blood will be a brighter red. Thus, bleeding from the anus, rectum, and the sigmoid colon tend to be bright red, whereas bleeding from the transverse colon and the right colon (transverse and right colon are several feet away from the anus) tend to be dark red or maroon colored.

 

Blood in the stool should be evaluated by a healthcare professional