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Rectal bleeding
By Mayo Clinic staffMayo Clinic Health Manager
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Definition
Rectal bleeding refers to bleeding from your lower colon or your rectum, the last few inches of your large intestine. Rectal bleeding may show up as blood in your stool, on the toilet paper or in the toilet bowl. The blood can range in color from bright red to dark maroon. Rectal bleeding may occur for many reasons, most commonly related to constipation or hemorrhoids. Often the underlying cause of rectal bleeding can be treated. If you have rectal bleeding or blood in your stool, see a doctor to determine what's causing your symptoms.
Causes
Causes of rectal bleeding include:
- Anal cancer
- Anal fissure
- Angiodysplasia
- Colon cancer
- Colon polyps
- Constipation
- Crohn's disease
- Diarrhea
- Diverticulosis
- Food poisoning (food-borne illness)
- Hemorrhoids
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Ischemic colitis
- Peptic ulcer
- Pseudomembranous colitis
- Radiation therapy
- Rectal prolapse
- Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome
- Ulcerative colitis
When to see a doctor
Call 911 or emergency medical assistance
Seek emergency help if you have rectal bleeding and any signs of shock:
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- Dizziness or lightheadedness after standing up
- Blurred vision
- Fainting
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Cold, clammy, pale skin
- Low urine output
Seek immediate medical attention
Have someone to drive you to urgent care or the emergency room if rectal bleeding is:
- Continuous or heavy
- Accompanied by severe abdominal pain or cramping
- Accompanied by anal pain
Schedule a doctor's visit
Make an appointment to see your doctor if you have rectal bleeding that lasts more than a day or two, or earlier if worrisome. If you're under age 40 and your rectal bleeding is from a hard stool, small anal fissure or other identifiable source, you can treat it with an over-the-counter hemorrhoid cream or hydrocortisone.
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- Rectal problems. American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/women/rectal.asp#1. Accessed March 17, 2009.
- Saab S, et al. Etiology of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 18, 2009.
- Colorectal diseases and treatments. American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons. http://www.fascrs.org/aboutus/press_room/backgrounders_and_tip_sheets/colorectal. Accessed March 17, 2009.
- Colorectal cancer. American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons. http://www.fascrs.org/patients/conditions/colorectal_cancer. Accessed March 17, 2009.
- Langan RC, et al. Ulcerative colitis: Diagnosis and treatment. American Family Physician. 2007;76:1323.
- Burling D, et al. Investigating rectal bleeding. BMJ. 2007;335:1260.
- Saab S, et al. Approach to the adult patient with lower gastrointestinal bleeding. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 20, 2009.
