Reasons Why

If you’re experiencing problems such as anal or rectal bleeding (called hematochezia), there could be a number of reasons:

• Anal fissure – caused by tearing for the anal canal lining. This usually happens when you force a bowel movement or during constipation. Excreting stool after the tear can be painful. You will usually notice a small amount of bright red blood either in the toilet bowl or on the toilet paper. Don’t confuse this with haemorrhoids, which generally don’t cause pain. To alleviate the pain, lubricate the anal ring with Vaseline or moisturizer prior to excreting.
• Angiodysplasias – abnormal vessels of enlarged blood which occur directly beneath the inner lining of the colon. They are detectable by colonoscopy. The bleeding can be dark red, bright red, maroon or even black waste excretion. It is painless.
• Inflammation of the colon or rectum, called colitis and proctitis, respectively. This can be coupled with abdominal pain, diarrhea with or without blood. the bleeding is moderate to severe.
• Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) – malignant tumors that can bleed. The amount of blood loss is mild and intermittent. They are believed to be developed from polyps, which are benign tumors of the large intestine.
• Diverticulosis – little sacks or out-pouching in the colon.
• Hemorrhoids – masses of tissue containing blood vessels within the anal canal. Most people are unaware that everyone has hemorrhoids. Problems such as small amounts of anal bleeding or discomfort occur when the haemorrhoids enlarge.
• Meckel’s diverticulum – 2% of people are born with a sack which protrudes from the small intestine. Some of these can excrete acid (just like the stomach), which causes ulcers which can then bleed. The bleeding does not cause pain, but can be rapid. It often causes bright or dark red or maroon poop/stools.
• Polypectomy – a procedure used to remove polyps during a colonoscopy. This can cause bleeding for days to weeks afterward.
• Rarely, anal bleeding can be caused by ulcers in the stomach (causing bright red bleeding) or a ruptured blood vessel causing blood to leak into the gastrointestinal tract.