Hi, I am 17, male, and about two weeks ago I experienced blood when wiping after going to the toilet. At the time I assumed I had popped a blood vessel or something that wasn't of major concern. A couple of days later I noticed that my anus was quite sore and the pain escalated throughout the day. When I got home I applied hemorrhoid cream as I believed I had a minor case of piles. The pain went away after about two days, although I did pass blood on my stool again a couple of days after. Since then, however, I have been experiencing a change in bowel movements, I have a bloated feeling in my abdomen, almost like trapped wind. I have also noticed that my stool has become harder to pass and more mucus-y. The mucus is minimal, but still noticeable in the stool. I have not noticed any blood in my stool since the initial bout. I would not be concerned by this usually, but someone I know was recently diagnosed with bowel cancer. Thanks.