What is Rectal Bleeding and how to treat it
Rectal bleeding is seen as a significant sign of some serious health issues. Rectal bleeding is often seen in old age people due to the development of degenerative conditions in the GI tract. In young patients, especially those below 3 years of age, rectal bleeding is mostly caused by a cow milk allergy. In this blog, we will discuss all these parameters attached to the causes, symptoms, and treatment of rectal bleeding.
What is Rectal Bleeding?
Rectal bleeding is the sudden appearance of blood into a toilet passed out by the stool. When one encounters rectal bleeding, they go into a state of anxiety because of the thought of possible causes of that bleeding. This anxiety is justified because rectal bleeding is a kind of symptom whose cause can vary from mind constipation to serious oncological disorders. The colour shade of the rectal bleeding also varies from light red to black.
Different shades of colours can give us a hint about the location from which the bleeding is caused. For example
- Normal Red colour bleeding indicates to it being caused in the rectum
- Maroon colour blood would point to the location of origin as in the higher colon area
- Lastly, dark or black coloured bleeding generally means that the blood is coming from the alimentary canal.
Causes of rectal bleeding
As the causes of rectal bleeding can encompass a wide range of conditions, we will discuss the most usual causes from mild to severe in this section:
- Piles: One of the main symptoms of rectal bleeding is the inflammation of the veins in the rectum. This condition is known as piles. Piles are itself caused by many reasons including acute constipation but the tendencies of having this condition are more embedded in the genes of a person. This is a mild cause of renal bleeding, but one may find it helpful to consult a doctor for their condition
- Anal fissure: In this condition, a small tear appears in the tissue that lines the anus. As the anus is very sensitive, a small fissure can be accompanied by severe pain. During the period of persistence of this tear, a pressure is created by the surrounding sphincter leading to spasm and rectal bleeding
- Anal Fistulae: When the glands inside the anus get clogged with some particles, they become infected. This leads to the formation of a puss pocket known as an abscess in the gland. Upon this, a tunnel is caused that connects the infected gland to the abscess. This tunnel formation is known as Anal Fistula and is accompanied by Rectal bleeding
- Inflammation of the intestines
- Damaged inner digestive tract layer you to imbalanced intestinal and stomach fluids
- Tumours due to the development of Polyps
Symptoms of rectal bleeding
We all know that rectal bleeding is a symptom in itself but what rectal bleeding symptoms mean is the problems that are usually accompanied by rectal bleeding. The symptoms of rectal bleeding depend upon the conditions that cause rectal bleeding at that time. Therefore the symptoms of your rectal bleeding can help your doctor to understand the cause of your condition.
Some of these symptoms of rectal bleeding are as follows:
- Pain in the rectum
- Heaviness in the rectum
- Darkened stool colour
- Nausea
- Passing out
- Light-headedness
- Anxiety and confusion
Some severe symptoms upon which one must immediately contact medical help are:
- Hypertension
- Increased pulse rate
- Obstruction in urination
Treatment of rectal bleeding
As it is above from above that rectal bleeding has its association with some causes, it is necessary for the treatment of it to understand the underlying cause of this symptom. In most of the patients suffering from this symptom, the treatment includes treating the main cause. For mild cases, doctors may suggest certain lifestyle changes such as eating more fruits and taking fruits.
However as rectal bleeding can have severe causes, such as cancer, too, the treatment options may deviate from the conventional and easy ones. In this case, you will be evaluated by your doctor to map out the most suitable treatment option for you
Conclusion
Rectal bleeding is a serious symptom. That doesn’t mean you have to hide this under the effect of your anxiety. Seeing a healthcare professional is necessary as this symptom can save you by getting you diagnosed in the early stage of your disease. This always helps to increase the probability of your recovery from the treatment you are administered to.
At Alfa Gastro and Liver Care Centre, you can expect this early diagnosis to be done with precision in order to map out a treatment plan compatible with you.