What does blood in my stool mean?

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Blood in or on your stool is common and usually comes from the exit, not deep inside: hemorrhoids - swollen veins that bleed bright red, usually painlessly, onto the paper or the bowl surface - or an anal fissure, a small tear that bleeds bright red and hurts, especially after a hard stool. MedlinePlus lists both as the most common causes of rectal bleeding, and both are very treatable with fiber, fluids, and time.

But blood in stool is a symptom doctors never fully wave off, because the list also includes polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, and colorectal cancer. The details guide the odds: bright red blood on the paper with no other change is usually hemorrhoids; blood mixed into the stool, dark or maroon stool, or blood with a change in bowel habits, belly pain, fatigue, or unexplained weight loss needs prompt evaluation. Colon cancer is increasingly a young-person's disease too, so age under 45 is not a pass.

Practical rule: one small streak after a hard stool can be watched for a few days with fiber and water. Anything recurrent, anything mixed in, or anything with other symptoms gets a doctor visit - and the visit is quick and the next step, often a stool test or scope, is routine.

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