3 ms·

If it is RED blood, it is a vein that breaks when the your stool passes. Most likely hemorrhoids. The problem is when you have BLACK blood in the stool. That m

If it is RED blood, it is a vein that breaks when the your stool passes. Most likely hemorrhoids. The problem is when you have BLACK blood in the stool. That may be an internal bleeding.

rocqua 3y ago
Red blood consistently still deserves to be checked out.
- conductr 3y ago
  I had a misdiagnosed anal fissure for a year. Get the ass doctor involved early, my GP was clueless about it and had me trying hemorrhoid/lidocaine creams for a year while in agonizing pain. The first thing the ass doctor asked was; do you know what a fissure is? before the exam even started. I learned to skip past the general doctors to the specialist from this experience. Also, the anus is the fulcrum of your body, treat it well.
  - vladvasiliu 3y ago
    > I learned to skip past the general doctors to the specialist from this experience. What concerns is that where I live, it's my understanding that, with a few exceptions [0], you can't skip a GP and go directly to a specialist. And I'm not convinced that GPs here are any better than in the US or elsewhere. Bonus points for large parts of the country not even having enough GPs for their population. --- [0] You can go see an eye doctor or a dentist without seeing a GP first.
    - b800h 3y ago
      If you're in the UK (you used "GP", so I'm guessing), then you absolutely can. Just go private. (https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-treatments/do-i-need-a-gp-referral-for-private-treatment/ https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-...). Don't bother with the NHS, it's a carwreck. See this, for example: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67239548 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67239548 Last month, after years of waiting, I got a letter again delaying my assessment for a growth on my neck, for the foreseeable future. It's a good job that I'd gone private a year ago, as it turned out to be extremely advanced, with neural invasion, requiring two rounds of surgery to be removed. Nationalised healthcare ought to be means-tested to target help at the people who need it, and not delay others who can afford to pay their way. The population 'pyramid' as it stands can't support the health and social care model we're using, and the lack of market incentives means that we don't train enough medics.
      - vladvasiliu 3y ago
        I'm in France, I used GP since that's the term that seems to be used in the Anglosphere. It also seems like a reasonable translation of the French term – médecin généraliste. I'm hearing bad things about UK's NHS, and while I don't have any firsthand experience with it, I do get the feeling that the French system is going down the same path. It's true that I don't usually think about going the private route. I'm not 100% sure, but I think you can probably see a private specialist directly. I also don't know how much it would cost, but probably quite a lot, given the prices in the public hospitals, and I don't think it's covered by the insurance, even though I carry insurance above the standard national scheme.
        b800h 3y ago
        I was actually in France last year, and arrived having lost (in transit; baggage handlers) some medicine for my son which had been prescribed in the UK by our GP the previous day, as he'd had stomach symptoms. I contacted the local French doctor, who brought us in that day, gave my son an actual examination (the UK GP didn't do this), asked if I was aware that he had an ear infection (I wasn't, the UK doctor didn't check), and revised the course of treatment which resolved the problem quickly. I was extremely impressed by the French doctor; he was in a different league to the standard in the UK.
      - denton-scratch 3y ago
        > the lack of market incentives means that we don't train enough medics. I don't think so; the number of medics we train in the UK is mainly controlled by the medical colleges.
        b800h 3y ago
        That makes my point doesn't it?
        denton-scratch 3y ago
        OK, I supose it does, in the sense that market incentives is one way we might get more doctors trained. But on the other hand the market incentives are plainly there; plenty more people want to train as doctors, than there are training places. That is, the market incentives don't seem to be working to increase training places.
- greedo 3y ago
  ANY blood deserves to be checked out.
kashunstva 3y ago
Black stool (melena) indicates an upper GI source: esophagus, stomach, duodenum chiefly. But _any_ source of colonic bleeding is likely to be red to bright red. The possible pathologies are numerous: hemorrhoidal - as you mention, tumours, inflammatory bowel disease, arteriovenous malformations, diverticular disease, etc.
k0k0 3y ago
Wrong. There is melena, which is a generally unmistakable consistency of black sticky stool (nothing anyone would identify as "blood") that is indicative of upper GI bleeding - not the colon. It doesn't really indicate severity because it may be fast or relatively slow. Both upper and lower GI bleeding can be serious in terms of acuity or seriousness of disease (cancer). However if the internal bleeding from the upper GI system is brisk/fast enough it will come out bright red. This can happen to people with esophageal varices (sequela of liver disease and cirrhosis) or brisk stomach or duodenal ulcers and the prognosis is usually poor, but very likely they will be getting emergent endoscopies and/or mass transfusion if they make it out of the ED. You can't tell by color. > That may be an internal bleeding. Colonic bleeding is just as internal and will typically be red or maroon.
- thinkingemote 3y ago
  Just a little aside for those doing a search in the future: many things you consume can also turn poop reddish so be sure to think about what you had for dinner if you've just noticed it. For example; beetroot, red wine, berries, stuff with food colouring etc.
  - joveian 3y ago
    In particular what you ate the past sveral days since it takes time to go through (exactly how long depends on your diet and body, but I think 2-3 days is common and a another couple of days is not uncommon). It takes long enough that it is easy to forget.

If it is RED blood, it is a vein that breaks when the your stool passes. Most likely hemorrhoids. The problem is when you have BLACK blood in the stool. That may be an internal bleeding.

rocqua 3y ago

Red blood consistently still deserves to be checked out.

conductr 3y ago
I had a misdiagnosed anal fissure for a year. Get the ass doctor involved early, my GP was clueless about it and had me trying hemorrhoid/lidocaine creams for a year while in agonizing pain. The first thing the ass doctor asked was; do you know what a fissure is? before the exam even started. I learned to skip past the general doctors to the specialist from this experience. Also, the anus is the fulcrum of your body, treat it well.
- vladvasiliu 3y ago
  > I learned to skip past the general doctors to the specialist from this experience. What concerns is that where I live, it's my understanding that, with a few exceptions [0], you can't skip a GP and go directly to a specialist. And I'm not convinced that GPs here are any better than in the US or elsewhere. Bonus points for large parts of the country not even having enough GPs for their population. --- [0] You can go see an eye doctor or a dentist without seeing a GP first.
  - b800h 3y ago
    If you're in the UK (you used "GP", so I'm guessing), then you absolutely can. Just go private. (https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-treatments/do-i-need-a-gp-referral-for-private-treatment/ https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-...). Don't bother with the NHS, it's a carwreck. See this, for example: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67239548 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67239548 Last month, after years of waiting, I got a letter again delaying my assessment for a growth on my neck, for the foreseeable future. It's a good job that I'd gone private a year ago, as it turned out to be extremely advanced, with neural invasion, requiring two rounds of surgery to be removed. Nationalised healthcare ought to be means-tested to target help at the people who need it, and not delay others who can afford to pay their way. The population 'pyramid' as it stands can't support the health and social care model we're using, and the lack of market incentives means that we don't train enough medics.
    - vladvasiliu 3y ago
      I'm in France, I used GP since that's the term that seems to be used in the Anglosphere. It also seems like a reasonable translation of the French term – médecin généraliste. I'm hearing bad things about UK's NHS, and while I don't have any firsthand experience with it, I do get the feeling that the French system is going down the same path. It's true that I don't usually think about going the private route. I'm not 100% sure, but I think you can probably see a private specialist directly. I also don't know how much it would cost, but probably quite a lot, given the prices in the public hospitals, and I don't think it's covered by the insurance, even though I carry insurance above the standard national scheme.
      - b800h 3y ago
        I was actually in France last year, and arrived having lost (in transit; baggage handlers) some medicine for my son which had been prescribed in the UK by our GP the previous day, as he'd had stomach symptoms. I contacted the local French doctor, who brought us in that day, gave my son an actual examination (the UK GP didn't do this), asked if I was aware that he had an ear infection (I wasn't, the UK doctor didn't check), and revised the course of treatment which resolved the problem quickly. I was extremely impressed by the French doctor; he was in a different league to the standard in the UK.
    - denton-scratch 3y ago
      > the lack of market incentives means that we don't train enough medics. I don't think so; the number of medics we train in the UK is mainly controlled by the medical colleges.
      - b800h 3y ago
        That makes my point doesn't it?
        denton-scratch 3y ago
        OK, I supose it does, in the sense that market incentives is one way we might get more doctors trained. But on the other hand the market incentives are plainly there; plenty more people want to train as doctors, than there are training places. That is, the market incentives don't seem to be working to increase training places.
greedo 3y ago
ANY blood deserves to be checked out.

kashunstva 3y ago

Black stool (melena) indicates an upper GI source: esophagus, stomach, duodenum chiefly. But _any_ source of colonic bleeding is likely to be red to bright red. The possible pathologies are numerous: hemorrhoidal - as you mention, tumours, inflammatory bowel disease, arteriovenous malformations, diverticular disease, etc.

k0k0 3y ago

Wrong. There is melena, which is a generally unmistakable consistency of black sticky stool (nothing anyone would identify as "blood") that is indicative of upper GI bleeding - not the colon. It doesn't really indicate severity because it may be fast or relatively slow. Both upper and lower GI bleeding can be serious in terms of acuity or seriousness of disease (cancer). However if the internal bleeding from the upper GI system is brisk/fast enough it will come out bright red. This can happen to people with esophageal varices (sequela of liver disease and cirrhosis) or brisk stomach or duodenal ulcers and the prognosis is usually poor, but very likely they will be getting emergent endoscopies and/or mass transfusion if they make it out of the ED. You can't tell by color. > That may be an internal bleeding. Colonic bleeding is just as internal and will typically be red or maroon.

thinkingemote 3y ago
Just a little aside for those doing a search in the future: many things you consume can also turn poop reddish so be sure to think about what you had for dinner if you've just noticed it. For example; beetroot, red wine, berries, stuff with food colouring etc.
- joveian 3y ago
  In particular what you ate the past sveral days since it takes time to go through (exactly how long depends on your diet and body, but I think 2-3 days is common and a another couple of days is not uncommon). It takes long enough that it is easy to forget.