# blood in stools **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 4, 2006, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977 "2006-02-04T07:43:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Regardie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Regardie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regardie)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/1 "2006-02-04T07:43:21Z")
I understand we are not to ask medical questions, but I am curious. If someone has blood in their stool, is it cause for an er trip or can an appointment be made? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/2 "2006-02-04T08:00:36Z")
> [@Regardie](#): > > I understand we are not to ask medical questions, but I am curious. If someone has blood in their stool, is it cause for an er trip or can an appointment be made? IANAD but if the blood isn’t appearing in vast quantities, the stools remain their usual colour and aren’t black and there are no other symptoms then it’s almost certainly just a haemarrhoid. That’s no biggy Keep an eye on the patient and make an appointment with your GP. ---
**Author:** ![Regardie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Regardie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regardie)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/3 "2006-02-04T08:04:10Z")
No symptoms, just diahrea. But I have a bit of a cold, so it may be showing up that way. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/4 "2006-02-04T15:01:35Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > IANAD but if the blood isn’t appearing in vast quantities, the stools remain their usual colour and aren’t black and there are no other symptoms then it’s almost certainly just a haemarrhoid. IAAD and I need to make a comment on that statement. While hemorrhoids are one of the most common causes of rectal pain and bright red bleeding from the rectum, there are other common causes such as fissures and fistulae. However, those two diagnoses don’t generally rise to the level of an emergency either, so the remainder of your commentary stands. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/5 "2006-02-04T18:53:27Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > IAAD and I need to make a comment on that statement. > > While hemorrhoids are one of the most common causes of rectal pain and bright red bleeding from the rectum, there are other common causes such as fissures and fistulae. > > However, those two diagnoses don’t generally rise to the level of an emergency either, so the remainder of your commentary stands. Yes I had fresh blood in my stool. (God what I’ll say on a public MB). I went to my Dr yesterday and he told me I didn’t have hemmroids but I have a fissure in my rectum. I know it is caused by the change in my diet and I have liquid stool softner on order (I can’t swallow pills) ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/6 "2006-02-04T23:42:46Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > IAAD and I need to make a comment on that statement. That’s why we keep you around. Well, that and your unparalleled knowledge of Tolkein. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/7 "2006-02-04T23:55:16Z")
Here’s a previous thread on the subject: > **[How serious is blood in the stool? Go to the doc on 1st occurrence?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=326999)** > > How serious is it to find blood in one’s stool? Should one make an appt with the doc the first time one sees it, or is it standard practice to see if it happens 1 or 2 more times before worrying about it? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/8 "2006-02-05T00:47:50Z")
**QtM** can correct me if I’m wrong, but my understanding is that there’s a huge difference between blood _in_ the stool and blood appearing _with_ the stool. The former is definitely serious; the latter probably isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/9 "2006-02-05T04:23:39Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > **QtM** can correct me if I’m wrong, but my understanding is that there’s a huge difference between blood _in_ the stool and blood appearing _with_ the stool. The former is definitely serious; the latter probably isn’t. Consider yourself corrected. Blood appearing with stool can still be and often is caused by cancerous lesions. Among other nasty things. Don’t make me get graphic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/10 "2006-02-05T17:22:28Z")
Well, sure, there are some serious conditions that will produce blood. And if you see blood more than just temporarily, a trip to doctor is definitely in order. But isn’t the number of cases of hemorrhoids and excoriation from diarrhea vastly huger than the number of cases of cancerous lesions? Serious question, not being snarky. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/11 "2006-02-05T17:26:52Z")
No opinion on the urgency, but my suggestion would be that if you DO decide to see a GI, first see your regular doctor for a referral so that your insurance will pick up the tab. They can be funny about that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/12 "2006-02-05T19:05:43Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Well, sure, there are some serious conditions that will produce blood. And if you see blood more than just temporarily, a trip to doctor is definitely in order. But isn’t the number of cases of hemorrhoids and excoriation from diarrhea vastly huger than the number of cases of cancerous lesions? Serious question, not being snarky. Huger, yes. Vastly huger, no. Colon cancer is common. And blood in the stools is usually the first sign. If caught early, colon cancer tends to be fairly cureable. If caught late, not real cureable. Hence the recommendation to see your doctor if you note bloody stools. And one need not rush off to a GI specialist. Any Family Medicine doc or Internist worth a damn can do the initial evaluation and in about 75% of the cases discover a relatively benign cause, such as hemorrhoids, fissures, or fistulae, with a simple in-office anoscopic exam. If the cause is in doubt, or the risk for a cancer is elevated (such as over age 40, family history of colon cancer, or other condition predisposing to colon cancer) then the patient may be whisked off for colonoscopy by a GI doc (or other doc trained to do colonoscopies). ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-in-stools/342977/13 "2006-02-05T20:08:11Z")
> [@Regardie](#): > > No symptoms, just diahrea. But I have a bit of a cold, so it may be showing up that way. Just my 2 cents: colds do not “show up” as blood in diarrhea. Blood in diarrhea (as opposed to bright red blood in somewhat hardened stool) is even less likely to be caused by hemorrhoids (which can be brought on by straining at stool). In fact, IMO (and IANAD, but I am a nurse), bloody diarrhea warrants a call to your MD SOON. And, of course, what **QtM** said.