What are the causes of blood in the feces of adults?

The presence of blood in the feces of an adult is the first sign of a violation of the integrity of the vessels of the mucous membrane and the intestinal tract. But it must be taken into account that the appearance of red mucus in feces is not always a bloody discharge.

Sometimes, the color of the stool changes due to eating various foods, for example, beets, tomatoes, sweet peppers or desserts based on gelatin.

If the stool is red, do not panic. First, think about what products could provoke such color.

Reasons for the presence of fecal blood in an adult

The main cause of bleeding from the anus or the appearance of traces of blood in the stool in adults are various diseases of the rectum and other parts of the large intestine.

The detection of this problem often occurs unexpectedly - there is no feeling of discomfort, pain and other signs of illness. Nevertheless, this is a dangerous symptom, indicating an unfavorable state of the body. In a panic to run it is not necessary, but the reason for the appearance of blood impurities in the stool should be established as soon as possible.

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As already mentioned, the detection of blood in the feces of an adult may indicate the presence of certain diseases.

Here are the most popular of them:

cracked anus;
bowel cancer;
polyposis;
hemorrhoids;
ulcer of the stomach or duodenum;
Crohn's disease;
diverticulosis;
esophageal varices.

The above diseases can to some extent affect the integrity of the mucous membranes or cause gastrointestinal, internal bleeding.

Harmless causes

The appearance of black feces and even red inclusions does not always indicate bleeding. Sometimes this is due to the use of certain products and medicines:

Semi-digested remains of eaten berries( blueberries, currants), tomatoes may resemble clots of blood.
The use of activated charcoal, iron preparations lead to the appearance of a black stool.
When eating red beet meals, the stool can become crimson.
They can change the color of the stool and food colors, which are part of various desserts and drinks.

Nevertheless, it is better to show excessive vigilance than to miss a formidable signal.

The nature of the blood

To answer the question why the blood has appeared in the stool of an adult, you need to see exactly how it looks. So, it can be fresh( scarlet), burgundy, black and hidden( meaning that blood in the stool can not be detected with the naked eye).

Analysis reveals latent blood. Hemorrhages of the upper gastrointestinal tract - stomach ulcer, large intestine polyps, colon cancer, stomach cancer, esophagus. And also cancer of the rectum, helminthic invasion.
Bright red fresh blood. The presence of blood on toilet paper, speaks of possible diseases such as hemorrhoids, cracks in the anus, cancer of the rectum.
Diarrhea with blood, pain, and temperature. Intestinal infections - salmonellosis, dysentery, etc.
Mucus and blood in the stool of an adult person is observed with ulcerative colitis, polyps, proctitis, tumors in the rectum.
Dark red clots, blood veins. Symptoms of inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - dysbacteriosis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.

In order to determine the presence of latent blood in the stool, it is necessary to conduct appropriate tests.

Hidden blood in stool

This method of investigation allows to determine the presence of bleeding internal organs of the digestive system. The delivery of the analysis is preceded by endoscopy of the stomach and intestines.

Discovered latent blood in the feces of an adult, a symptom of such ailments as:

ulcer of the duodenum or stomach.
mucosal integrity disorder.
for ulcerative colitis.
Malignant oncology.
polyps.

The preparation period for the analysis of stool for concealed blood takes 7 days. During this time, it is necessary to adhere to a special diet, not to eat foods containing iron, whatever medications, food additives.

Hidden blood in the feces is important in time to detect and draw a conclusion about the current disease, so as not to miss important time for the most effective treatment.

What does blood veins in feces mean?

In many cases, blood veins during defecation are the result of prolonged inflammation in the large intestine. The causes may be violations of microflora, as well as the presence of parasites. In addition, scarlet blood veins appear after a long diarrhea, during intestinal, infectious diseases, like dysentery or intestinal flu.

Bacteria and viruses disrupt the integrity of the walls of vessels located close to internal, intestinal surfaces. Intravascular, disseminated blood clotting occurs, which is why such alarming symptoms appear.

It is worth paying attention to the permanent streak of blood in the feces in the following cases:

if it lasts more than 3 days in a row;
there is a loss of body weight;
there were drawing pains along the bowels and below the abdomen;
has lost appetite;
the appearance of traces of blood was not preceded by constipation or diarrhea.

In such cases, blood in stool can be a sign of diseases such as:

polyps of the intestine;
diverticulitis;
rectal fissure;
bowel cancer.

The sooner you begin to treat these diseases, the more chances for complete recovery and preservation of health in full.

Treatment of bleeding from the anus

As already shown above, the causes of bleeding from the anus can be a variety of diseases. For this reason, there is no single method of treatment that could solve the problem in any situation.

If, after a doctor's visit, you have an exact cause of bleeding( eg, hemorrhoids or anus fissure), you can find detailed recommendations for treating these diseases among other articles on the site.