What is anal bleeding?

Anal bleeding is nearly always due to benign conditions, usually haemorrhoids (“piles”) or fissures. The blood is usually bright red and fresh as though you had been cut. It usually occurs when your bowel has been moved but is sometimes seen as a stain on the bedclothes or underwear. When it occurs with bowel movement, it may be slight (seen as a smear on the toilet paper) or heavier when it discolours the water in the toilet bowl. Sometimes, it will splash the bowl or even drip into the toilet after the motion has passed. Although the blood may coat the motion, it will not be mixed in with it Bleeding from a fissure may be quite painful while hemorrhoids are either painless or associated with only mild discomfort.

What is rectal bleeding?

When the blood is dark or clotted or mixed in amongst the bowel motion, it is possible that the blood is coming from further up inside the bowel. While many of the causes of this type of bleeding are still innocent, it may be due to a more serious disease. The most serious of all is cancer of the bowel but it may also be coming from polyps arising from the bowel lining or inflammation of the bowel. All of these more serious conditions can be satisfactorily treated and cancers can be cured. However, it goes without saying that the sooner they are identified the more likely it is that they can be effectively treated.

You should report almost any episode of bleeding to your doctor if you have not had prior episodes. However, if it is bright red and associated with short-lived pain and passing a hard stool, it is highly likely to be due to a small tear in the back passage. It is particularly important to report if it is associated with a change in your normal bowel pattern or a sense of incomplete emptying of your bowels.