My Husband Has Been Experiencing Blood In His Stool Since

Posted on Tue, 8 Jan 2019

Question: My husband has been experiencing blood in his stool since last night. It is bright red and appears to be fresh blood. My hunch is that it is a bleeding hemorrhoid (may be more than one). He thinks it is internal bleeding like an ulcer. How can I tell the difference?

Answered by Dr. Dr.Arnab (9 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
most likely related to haemorrhoids only...please see the detailed answer below...

Detailed Answer:
Hello there,
Welcome to 'Ask A Doctor' service...
I've gone through your query in details...
I can understand your concerns...

Please note, hard motion and constipation can cause excessive straining which in turn results in the injury of the colon and rectum, and this can further form such soreness and in longterm haemorrhoids...

Now the fact that its bright red signifies that it's originating from the lowermost part of the gut, i.e. the haemorrhoids...had it been an internal bleeding ulcer or any other pathologies, it'd be dark brown/blackish/tarry as the acid in the stomach and upper part of the GI-tract interacts with the gastric contents...

-If there is any persistent complaint of constipation/hard faecal matter, he should start taking some stool softener and fluids, i.e. Syp LACTULOSE 15ml once daily at bedtime and observe the progress (the dose can be further escalated up to 30ml thrice daily based on the initial response)...

-Apart from this, please tell him do not strain while passing motion...

-Additionally, start taking 'Sitz bath' thrice daily (sit in a tub of lukewarm water putting some salt in it)...You can watch a tutorial video of Sitz bath online for proper techniques...

-Drink plenty of water (at least 2.5ltr per day), have plenty of fresh green vegetables, simple homemade foods, salads, curd based diet, avoid any form of spicy food...

He'd be feeling better with all these afterwards. However, if there's no significant improvement despite following these within a few days, it's recommended to go for a per-rectal examination (by any medical doctor, preferably a Gastroenterologist/Gastro Surgeon) for further evaluation.

Let me know if I can assist you further...
Wish you good health...

Take Care
Kind Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee

Follow up: Dr. Dr.Arnab (22 minutes later)

Thank you so much. I advised him the bright red blood probably indicated bleeding from his anal area due to the blood being so fresh. He was concerned and scared (rightly so). We plan on going to his GI specialist next week but did not want to go to ER if we did not need to. Have a wonderful weekend and stay healthy and safe!

Answered by Dr. Dr.Arnab (30 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
yes, your most welcome...

Detailed Answer:
Welcome back,

Yes, please do so...

Glad to be of service...

Just follow all the advice detailed earlier, he'd be okay...

Take Care
Kind Regards

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee