what could blood in the stool mean
However, Sonpal stresses that you should never assume your bleeding is just a hemorrhoid and that you should see your doc for an official diagnosis (donât be shyâwe swear, theyâve seen everything!). In some instances, blood in your stool could mean colorectal cancer. Itâs important to note, though, that the amount of blood is often unnoticeable to the regular eyeâso the rule of thumb is prevention, prevention, prevention.
Causes of blood in the stool range from harmless, annoying conditions of the gastrointestinal tract such as hemorrhoids and anal tears from straining against hard stools with constipation to serious conditions such as cancer. Blood in the stool should be evaluated by a health-care 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.