what causes bright red blood in stool

[barberashely]

hi, yes i know i need to see a doctor but ive recently lost my job and therefor insurance and have no money - so i can only go to er if absoulte necc. ( i already have a lot of medical bills racked up) but anyways ive been having slight abdominal pain. very slight, not extremely painful just more annoying. Then i went to the bathroom just now and i noticed that I had bright red blood on my toilet paper. not a ton just enough for me to notice. so then i look in the toilet and there is blood like "coating" some of the feces,  but doesnt seem to be actually in the feces and the color of the actual feces looks normal? I always strain because i was told i MIGHT have ibs by a doctor not too long ago ( ive had constant hard time going for a year or so now) so i was thinking the blood was from straining? But then what about the ab. pains? could it be unrelated? What is your experience with these things and or things that sound similar to this. Thanks so much for your help. I am a 24 year old female

[Sheanybird69]

I understand the insurance issue...I share that issue. I had this for years many times. It only happened when stools were large. There are a few possibilities,  and weeding them out before thinking you have colon cancer is smart. First...anal fissure . Your hole tears. Second...rectal fissure..your rectum tears. Three....ibs...your colon is inflamed. Take 500mg magnesium every single day. That problem will stop. Cheap stuff from walmart is fine. Its ionized, which is best. Avoid very spicy food. Avoid caffeine and artificial sweetener. Take probiotics

[Morecambe]

Rectal bleeding is never normal and should always be medically investigated.  For possible causes etc - and to elaborate on Dr Arti Sharma's posting above - google rectal bleeding and click onto one of the many sites - the Medicinenet site is particularly informative.

Assuming that you do consult a doctor, if the cause is not one of the minor ones (i.e. anal fissure, haemorrhoids etc) then a colonoscopy should reveal the cause.  At age 24 it is highly unlikely that you will have developed colon cancer but even if you are in the unlucky "fraction of a fraction of a percent" that do develop colon cancer at an early age then prompt treatment is the key to a complete cure.

Good luck

regards
Morecambe

[barberashely]

What if it only happened that one day and hasnt happened since? I know it could always be something more serious, but would that indicate maybe i just strained too much or something of that matter?

[Arti Sharma, M.D.]

Hello,
The common causes of blood in stools are piles or haemorrhoids. Other causes can include diverticular bleeding, anal fissures,IBS, colon cancer etc.It is suggested to consult a doctor and get evaluated. You will need tests like stool test and proctoscopy to rule out causes mentioned above. Treatment will be specific directed to the cause. Good luck and regards!