Digestive Health Why You Might See Blood in Your Stool Causes of Bloody Stools and Rectal Bleeding By Barbara Bolen, PhD twitter Barbara Bolen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and health coach. She has written multiple books focused on living with irritable bowel syndrome. Learn about our editorial process Barbara Bolen, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Jay N. Yepuri, MD, MS on February 05, 2020 facebook twitter linkedin Jay Yepuri, MD, MS, is board-certified in gastroenterology. He is a partner with Digestive Health Associates of Texas and a medical director at Texas Health Harris Methodist HEB Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Jay N. Yepuri, MD, MS on February 05, 2020 Print Seeing blood in your stool can be very concerning. For most people, the fear is that this is a sign of colon cancer. Although blood in the stool is considered a red-flag digestive symptom, it doesn't automatically mean that you have a life-threatening illness. Let's take a look at what this symptom might actually mean. Causes Your doctor can determine the likely cause and what treatment is appropriate. These are some of the possibilities. Common Causes Verywell / JR Bee Hemorrhoids A hemorrhoid that has started to bleed is one of the most common causes of blood in the stool. Hemorrhoids appear when blood vessels in the rectum or anus become swollen and inflamed. Bleeding from a hemorrhoid is typically bright red in color. Anal Fissures Anal fissures are another possible cause of blood in the stool. An anal fissure is a tear in the tissue lining your anus. In addition to causing bright red blood to appear in your stool, anal fissures may also cause symptoms of anal pain and/or itching, as well as pain during bowel movements. Less Common Causes Colon Polyps Colon polyps are growths in the colon that are at risk for developing into cancerous tumors. Typically polyps do not cause any symptoms, but bleeding can occur and show up on or in your stool. Inflammatory Bowel Disease Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in both of its forms (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease) can cause blood to appear in your stool. Diverticular Bleeding Diverticular disease is when small pouches exist along the lining of your large intestine. Although it is not terribly common, these pouches can bleed. If this happens, you may see a large amount of blood in your stool. Most often, diverticular bleeding will stop suddenly. However, in a small number of cases, the condition can become life-threatening and require admission to an intensive care unit. If you experience large amounts of blood on your stool, seek medical help immediately. Colon Cancer Blood on or in the stool is often the first noticeable sign of the presence of colon cancer. This is why it is essential that any sign of blood on the stool be brought to your doctor's attention. Blood from a cancerous growth in the colon may cause the stool to appear dark, black, or tar-colored. Digestive Tract Bleeding Disease occurring higher up in the digestive tract (esophagus, stomach, or small intestine) can also cause the stool to appear dark red or black. Possible culprits include peptic ulcers, esophagitis, esophageal tears, and tumors. Benign Changes in Stool Color Sometimes stool color can change due to eating certain foods or taking certain supplements. You might confuse this with blood in the stools. Here are some examples: Pepto BismolIron supplementsFoods with black or red food coloringBeets and other red vegetables Causes of Red or Black Stool When to See a Doctor If you find any blood in your stool or on your toilet paper or see any other evidence of rectal bleeding, the first thing you must do is to call your doctor and set up an appointment. Diagnosis Your doctor will evaluate your symptoms and decide whether or not further investigation is necessary. While it will usually be due to a minor or benign cause, it still needs to be checked so a serious cause can be addressed. Based on your symptom picture, your doctor will choose which diagnostic tests are most appropriate. Most doctors will take a thorough history and do a physical examination, which may include a rectal exam. Blood work may or may not be taken. Some other possibilities include: ColonoscopySigmoidoscopyBarium enemaUpper endoscopyUpper GI series A Word From Verywell Do not ignore any signs of blood in your stool. While you don't need to overreact, the proper action is to immediately bring your symptoms and concerns to the attention of your doctor. With a proper diagnosis, the underlying problem can be appropriately addressed. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Gas pain? Stool issues? Sign up for the best tips to take care of your stomach. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Penner RM, Majumdar SR. Patient education: Blood in the stool (rectal bleeding) in adults (Beyond the Basics). UpToDate. Literature review current through December, 2019. Cleveland Clinic. Rectal bleeding: possible causes. Reviewed January 27, 2015. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? Reviewed March 22, 2018. HealthLinkBC. Diverticular bleeding. November 7, 2018. American Society for Gastrointestical Endocscopy. What is colorectal cancer?