Why Am I Finding Blood After Wiping My Bottom?

Every day, we eliminate waste and toxins from our bodies through urination and defecation. Some people may notice blood in their stool, which can be caused by various reasons. The most minor cases may be due to anal fissures or hemorrhoids, which can be treated with medication. However, more severe cases of blood in stool may indicate underlying rectal diseases and require medical attention.

Causes of bloody stool include:

1. Diseases of the digestive system itself, such as esophageal and gastric varices, gastric and intestinal ulcers and inflammation, parasitic infections, tumors (including polyps and cancer), hemorrhoids, intussusception, anal fissures, and fecal abrasions due to dry stool.
2. Diseases of other systems outside the digestive tract, such as blood diseases, acute infectious diseases, vitamin deficiencies, poisoning, or drug toxicity.
3. In children, bloody stool is often caused by intestinal polyps, which present as bright red blood that is painless and separate from the stool. It can also be seen in bacterial dysentery, intussusception, and blood system diseases. In adults, bloody stool is commonly caused by hemorrhoids, anal fistulas, anal fissures, intestinal polyps, colorectal cancer, and inflammatory bowel diseases.

Clinical manifestations of bloody stool include:

1. Fresh blood in the stool is often acute (immediate) bleeding, which exits the blood vessels shortly and is expelled through the anus with the stool or flows directly after defecation. The appearance of the blood is similar to traumatic bleeding, ranging from bright red to purple or dark red, and it can clot into blood clots over time. This is commonly seen in conditions such as hemorrhoids (both internal and external), intestinal polyps, rectal prolapse, and anal fissures.
2. Pus and mucus mixed with blood in the stool indicate the presence of both inflammation and bleeding in the rectum or colon. This is often seen in diseases such as rectal cancer, colon cancer, and ulcerative colitis.

It is important to note that any instance of blood in the stool should be evaluated by a healthcare professional to determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment.