is this an emergency

[bussy4361]

My "other" is having blood appear when he has a bowel movement.  This has been occuring for about 4 days.  Blood is not in the stool, but alot of bright "kind" is showing.  He also is complaining of pain in the lower left side of his abdomin (abdomen) area.  Is this an emergency, or should I just make him an appointment?  Thank you for your time and effort, Bussy

[AHP84]

This may or may not be an emergency; chances are it's not. But it is urgent.
Blood in the stool, especially associated with pain when passing a BM, is not normal.
He could have anything from a rectal fissure (tearing in the rectum), internal hemorrhoids, polyps, or a tumor. He could also be developing crohn's or colitis. It could be a number of things.
He should get an appointment as soon as possible with a family doctor to get a rectal exam to check if the bleeding is coming from a rectal source, and if it's not, then he should be referred by that doctor to a gastroenterologist. He will probably need a colonoscopy or barium enema if the source of bleeding is not found in the rectum, which means the source is located higher in the colon.

[Wenchjoanie]

I had the same condition quite a few years ago and found out that I had diverticulosis that had become infected (diverticulitis). Somehow I don't think it is the same thing that he would have although he could have diverticulosis anyways and should be checked. By the sounds of it, it could be bleeding hemroids ? spelling. I know that after having many rectal examinations, I developed hemroids and the blood was a bright red. If having difficult bowel movements, he could have very well caused them to bleed. He should go and see his doctor and be checked though to rule out other possible problems as the women before has stated. Are his stools hard or soft?

[Morecambe]

I agree with the previous comments.  If the bleeding is spasmodic then it is probably not an emergency - but regular bleeding of smallish amounts of blood can lead to anaemia/tiredness/even faintness etc so don't delay seeking medical advice.  An "explosion" of blood (say 230-500ml+) could be more of an emergency and I would suggest an immediate emergency admission to hospital.

regards
Morecambe