Rectal Bleeding
GENERAL INFORMATION:
What is it? Rectal bleeding is a type of lower GI bleeding. GI stands for gastro-intestinal. The lower GI includes the intestines (bowel) and rectum. The rectum is the last part of the intestine that ends at the anus. The anus is the opening where BM is passed from the body. Rectal bleeding occurs in the rectum.
Causes: Many things can cause rectal bleeding. Tears (rips) in the lining of the rectum or infections in the rectum can cause rectal bleeding. Hemorrhoids (hem-roids) can cause the bleeding. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the rectum and when one breaks it can cause bleeding. Polyps (pol-ips) can cause bleeding. Polyps are lumps of tissue that bulge out from the lining of the rectum. Cancer may also cause bleeding.
Signs and Symptoms: You may see bright red blood coming from the rectum. You may first see the blood on the toilet paper after wiping. Or the toilet water may look pink after you pass a BM. You may see blood on your BM. Blood may show up as black or bright red specks in the BM. If you are bleeding a lot, you may feel dizzy, lightheaded, or even faint.
Care:
- First your caregivers will need to find the cause of the bleeding. If bleeding is caused by a germ called bacteria (bak-teer-e-uh), you will need to take antibiotic (an-ti-bi-ah-tik) medicine. This medicine will kill the bacteria. If you have bled a lot, you may be given fluids or blood.
- If a polyp is causing your bleeding, you may need to have it removed. Or your caregiver may just want to watch it. You may need surgery to stop the bleeding if it cannot be stopped using other treatments. If hemorrhoids are your problem, you may need to eat a high fiber diet. Or if they are really bad, you may need to have them removed.
CARE AGREEMENT:
You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.
| Link to this page |  |
Printable Version |  |
Email Page |
