Rectal bleeding

Blood in the stool or blood leaking from the rectum may occur for a variety of reasons. However, any more than a small amount of blood on toilet tissue or the surface of the stool needs to be evaluated by a health professional.

A small amount of bright red blood on the surface of the stool is usually due to irritation of the rectum or hemorrhoids. This is not serious if there are only streaks of blood and if bleeding occurs only a few times.

A moderate to large amount of blood in the stool usually indicates a lot of bleeding in the digestive tract. This bleeding has many possible causes, including inflammation, infection, cancer, or an ulcer.

Bloody stools may occur as one large, bloody bowel movement. Several bowel movements containing a moderate amount of blood (enough to turn the water in the toilet bowl red) may also occur. The blood in the stool may be bright red, reddish brown, black, or tarry. This depends upon where the blood is coming from and how fast it is moving through the digestive tract.

Persistent rectal bleeding of any amount may be a sign of a serious health problem and needs to be evaluated.