Bleeding from the back passage
|
|
|
Dear Ask The Doctor: After completing a bowel movement, I have had increased amounts of blood when I wipe the area. The blood shows up on the toilet paper after wiping. I do not wipe hard or voraciously, please help me find a reason for this. I have not inspected the stool to see if it has a blood tint to it.
Dear Lucas: The presence of blood on toilet paper after a bowel movement is usually indicative of bleeding from the rectum or anus. This bleeding is most commonly due to the presence of haemorrhoids, secondary to constipation. Other causes of bleeding from the back passage include: diverticular disease (inflammation of an outpouching of the colon or large intestine); colitis (inflammation of the colon); polyps (slow-growing overgrowth on the surface of the colon); inflammatory bowel disease; malignant growth or angiodysplasia (vascular abnormality that causes bleeding from the large bowel). I advise consulting your family doctor for a detailed history of the bleeding and a physical examination. He may refer you for further investigation if appropriate in your case; including colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy which visualise the walls of the large intestine through a camera lens. |
|
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 21 July 2010 )
|
Topics A-Z 
Print Article
Email