Blood in Stool

[FFrozTT]

I have experienced minor blood in my stool on staggered occasions but on Tuesday it was <b>much</b> more visible. I am 24, male, healthy and about 30 pounds overweight.  There were some odd events surrounding the experience for me though.  Tuesday was the original sighting.  Wednesday was the second sighting.  Thursday I spent dizzy and weak all day. I felt like I had the flu or something. No nausea or pain, I just felt weak and at half capacity. I even had a hard time thinking straight. My body temperature was extremely high and yet I felt cold. There was no bowel movement at all that day.  Friday I feel fine and again find blood in my stool.  There is no pain for me what-so-ever and I do not feel sick.  I have been doing some heavy lifting over a short stretch of time as I have been moving, both at work and into a new home.  My best guess is that I tore a blood vessel and as a result, fought off an infection in the interim.  I would assume this will subside but would really appreciate a professional opinion.  As a probably useless side note, I get frequent heart burn that I have been meaning to see a doctor about, just haven't had the time.  Although I suspect this is simply due to a poor diet, which I am currently striving to improve.

P.S.  I understand that 49% of males are diagnosed with some form of cancer in there lifetimes. I don’t believe this situation is anyway related, but I do believe that I have a good chance of being in this percent of people at some point.  Is there some way to do some kind of early checkup, can I request that sort of thing?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

There are various causes of rectal bleeding.  Most common include hemorrhoids or an anal fissure.  Other causes can include polyps, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulosis or an infection.  Given your age, cancer is less likely.  

If you are feeling weak and dizzy, I would suggest an evaluation to make sure you didn't lose too much blood.  Tests to evaluate the cause of the bleeding would be an anoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy.  These tests can be considered by your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.