Introduction
Blood in the stool is a frightening discovery for many. However, the cause is usually harmless. The most common cause of blood in stool is haemorrhoids.
However, since serious illnesses can also lead to blood in the stool, a clarification should always be made by a doctor. The blood in the stool can be dark or light. Light-coloured blood comes from the lower section of the intestine. Dark blood is already coagulated and comes from the upper sections. The causes are usually more serious.
Causes of blood in the stool in diarrhoea
The causes of blood in the stool can be very diverse. Many people think of the worst at first, bowel cancer. However, in many cases harmless things are the triggers.
There are various bacterial pathogens, such as Clostridium difficile, which can lead to bloody diarrhoea. Most often, however, haemorrhoids lead to blood in the stool. There may also be injuries to the mucous membrane, for example, which have arisen in the course of a previous constipation and are reopened by the diarrhoea.
In young adults, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease can also be the cause. Bloody diarrhoea is typical for ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane in the colon.
It proceeds in phases and is thus characterised by phases without symptoms and phases with symptoms. Dark blood in the stool indicates a bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, e.g. a stomach ulcer. In any case, if there is blood in the stool, a doctor should be consulted.
For more detailed information on the subject of diarrhoea, please visit our page on diarrhoeal diseasesThe bacterial flora of the colon can be irritated by the intake of antibiotics. The antibiotic attacks some strains of bacteria more than others, resulting in an imbalance. In this way, bacteria that cause diarrhoea can gain the upper hand.
This strain of bacteria is usually Clostridium difficile. This causes watery diarrhoea, cramp-like abdominal pain and fever. In severe cases, there is also blood in the stool. The so-called antibiotic-associated diarrhoea mainly affects elderly people and people who have had to take several antibiotics.
Associated symptoms
Bloody diarrhoea is often accompanied by stomach aches and cramps. If the bloody diarrhoea is due to an infection in the gastrointestinal tract, fever and general fatigue may also occur. Usually the diarrhoea occurs 2-10 days after antibiotic therapy and is characteristically malodorous.
Ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, also causes abdominal pain. The diarrhoea is bloody and mucous. Ulcerative colitis can also manifest itself outside the intestine.
It can lead to inflammation of the eye and joints and to skin changes. Bowel cancer is symptom-free in the early stages. Only in the further course of the disease do further symptoms appear.
Frequently, constipation occurs, between which diarrhoea with blood loss can occur. Furthermore, flatulence can lead to unwanted stool discharge. In an advanced stage, there is also a noticeable loss of weight and a drop in performance.
This topic might also be of interest to you: Colours of the bowel movementFrequently, in addition to diarrhoea, abdominal pains occur. Cramp-like pain in the lower abdomen is typical for viral or bacterial diarrhoea and usually occurs with antibiotic-induced diarrhoea. Ulcerative colitis also causes abdominal pain in addition to the very frequent diarrhoea.
Tenesmus are typical here. This is a painful urge to defecate. The pain in ulcerative colitis is located in the left lower abdomen.
The pain often occurs during or after bowel movements (increased). Bloody diarrhoea with abdominal pain is not typical of intestinal cancer. However, the localisation of the tumour can also cause pain or impair digestion.
- Blood in the stool and abdominal pain
- Abdominal pain and diarrhoea
Diarrhoea is often accompanied by unpleasant abdominal cramps. Abdominal cramps are particularly typical in cases of diarrhoea due to viral or bacterial infections. Abdominal cramps are also classically associated with food intolerances. The cramps can often be relieved by warmth or easily digestible teas.
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