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Question about blood in stool

19 years ago

When there is blood in stool, does it look black? Someone at work is concerned about their stool (obviously I have not seen it) and has described it as having a bright red spot. I told him that I thought blood in stool was dark red, or tarry, but that he should get it checked out anyway.

Sorry if this is gross!

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Comments (13)

catherinet
19 years ago
Hi elly!

If the blood is higher up in the GI tract it will be dark. Usually blood in the stool that is bright red means they have some bleeding hemorrhoids, right there close to the rectum.
Elly_NJ
Original Author
19 years ago
Hi Catherine!

OK, I will tell him. Wouldn't he have other symptoms? He's freaked out because he feels fine.

???
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catherinet
19 years ago
I know its sort of embarrassing to ask him......but see if he has some pain and itching in his rectum, which would be hemorrhoids. But I think you can also have internal hemorrhoids which don't always have alot of symptoms, except maybe some pain with defecation.
How old is he? I would say to wait it out and see if, in the immediate future, it calms down. If it continues, he should see his doc.
Also......he could try using some preparation H suppositories to see if that got rid of the blood. That can really shrink the hemorrhoidal tissue really well. And I would go with the suppositories, since they can reach the further-inside hemorrhoids better than just the cream.
devorah
19 years ago
I never worry about a little bit of red blood and my Dr. doesn't either. My husband had quite a lot of red blood not long ago, but the Dr. just told him to eat a bland diet for a few days and it would go away - and it did.
cecilia_md7a
19 years ago
The red blood could also be due to an anal fissure - again, red blood shouldn't be as much a concern as dark blood.
goldy
19 years ago
You know this is a wonderful forum.I am having the same problem and you have put my mined at ease.I have a doctors appointment a month away ,and did not know how I could wait it out.same symptoms and everything.God bless you!
catherinet
19 years ago
Good luck to you goldy.
Isn't the Internet wonderful? I'd be so lost without being able to share so much information and experiences with so many people! Let us know how your doc visit goes!
linn_z
19 years ago
I just had a colonoscopy a few months ago because I had bleeding, bright red. Turns out it's a few small blood vessels that bleed, but I'm glad I went in, they found 2 polyps and removed them......LinnZ
goldy
19 years ago
Went to doc. today.It was nothing.Just as you said a hemorrhoid.It pays not to get too excited and just calm down.Being human we always think the worse.
ellied
19 years ago
My husband put off going because he thought it was nothing, maybe just hemorrhoids. He had a big mass in his rectum that was cancer. He has had chemo, radiation and surgery and now has a colostomy. NEVER, NEVER ignore rectal bleeding of any kind.
catherinet
19 years ago
I'm glad to hear it was just hemorrhoids goldy.
Ellied.......sorry to hear about your husband. I hope he's okay now.
ellied
19 years ago
He is doing great. It will be a year in Sept. since he was diagnosed. Have had six month post-op check up and all was good.
Thanks!
taft
19 years ago
Ellied, yes, absolutely never ignore bleeding of any kind. I have a 30 something family member who was experiencing blood in the stool and she went to her doc right away. He sent her for a colonoscopy and she said the doc who did the procedure told her she was too young to have polyps...she had two. One they could remove that day but the other was too large and required surgery. Her doc told her had she waited they could have been cancerous in a few more months.

It was quite a scare for all of us.

I am so happy for your husband that he is doing so well now. Goodluck to both of you!

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