As a child, I de-wormed and my dad asked me if I took a look at my stool when I was done and truthfully, it sounded gross and unhygienic but growing up I have learned that it is a safe practice to be able to help us learn a lot about our gut health and I always tell people to take a look at their stool in the toilet so they can have a glimpse of what is going on in their gut. You then ask why you should do this often, well because you might have dropped something into the toilet that you shouldn't have dropped such as blood.
People have see blood in their stool, their tissue when cleaning up, or in toilet water and when they see it, they are advised to see a doctor which is my advice for you in this post but then let's discuss blood in feces because it might be a minor issue or a serious one depending on some things. First, it is known as Rectal bleeding, but these can happen in different location and the bleeding can come in different color posing different risks.
From the stomach connect to the small intestine which is in the lower part of the abdomen, and consists of duodenum, jejunum, and the ileum, then to the large intestine which includes the Cecum, the Ascending colon, transverse colon, the descending colon, sigmoid colon, rectum then the anus which is what we see outside. When it comes to rectal bleeding, it can come from any of these parts, and can come from more than 1 place. The color of the blood can also determine the distance of the bleeding from the anus.
Blood color like Bright Red is coming from the lower colon or the rectum, Dark red blood could be coming from the upper part of the colon or the from the small intestine, and Tar colored blood is coming from as far as the stomach. Rectal bleeding could come from some serious issues or from very simple things like wiping off with tissue vigorously or aggressively leading to irritation. In this case, the color of the blood is usually bright red because it is fresh and close to or on the surface. This is usually a minor issue.
Another and common case of rectal bleeding is Blasted hemorrhoids and it is caused by swollen veins in the anus or the rectum which can be very painful, cause discomfort and lead to bleeding. This swelling or hemorrhoids can be internal or external which can inside the rectum or on the anus surface respectively, and the formal less discomforting than the later. Internal hemorrhoids which is innervated by the visceral nerve is less sensitive to pain and discomfort while external hemorrhoid which is innervated by the somatic nerve is more sensitive to pain, touch and temperature.
Hemorrhoids can also be associated with thrombosis where there is a clot in the dilated vain in the anus or the rectum. It can also lead to prolapse of the anus sphincter and it can lead to a surgical case. Anal fissures can also lead to rectal bleeding and this is usually from a hard bowel movement, and anal intercourse. The pain can be severe during and after stool and the blood from this is light red just similar to hemorrhoids.
Inflammatory Bowel disease is another cause of rectal bleeding. Conditions like Crohn's disease, and Ulcerative Colitis can lead to chronic inflammation of the GI tract which could lead to bleeding. Bleeding with Ulcerative Colitis is usually bright red as it is within the colon but with Crohn's disease, it can begin at anywhere in the GI tract and it is less common to have bleeding from the mouth but it can occur.
People who experience Tarry feces have bleeding from the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine as a result of things like erosion of the lining of the stomach, Gastritis, and inflammation of the stomach. Bleeding can also occur from colorectal cancer or Colorectal Polyps. Polyps are small growth inside the lining of the colon or rectum. Bleeding can be less common and they remain there.
Either severe bleeding or less severe one, bright red or dark blood, it is important to visit the doctor so you do not treat a serious medical condition as a simple one. If bleeding is serious, it can lead to unexplained weight loss, abdominal discomfort, and pain. The earlier you catch the bleeding and treating the cause, the easier and quicker it is to treat.
Reference
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bleeding-from-the-bottom-rectal-bleeding/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563143/
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/blood-in-the-stool-rectal-bleeding
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/hemorrhoids
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-polyps/
https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/colorectal-polyps
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430761/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544250/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gastritis/
