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What is Hematochezia?

By: Aeronx Mc Mall


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Hematochezia or rectal bleeding refers to the excretion of blood from the anus mixed with stools or sometimes blood clots. Once the presence of blood is seen in stools, medical attention should be sought so that it can be evaluated and possible cause detected.
The colour of the blood is influenced by the area of damage or disorder in the digestive tract. The nearer the area is to the anus, the brighter the blood will appear.
Causes of bloody, black stools are:
1. Abnormal blood vessels
2. A slit in the esophagus caused by vomiting.
3. Bleeding stomach or ulcers.
4. Gastritis - inflammation of the stomach lining.
5. Bowel ischemia - improper blood transportation to the intestines.
6. Trauma or the presence of a strange object in the upper gastrointestinal tract.
7. Esophageal and stomach varices - widened, overgrown blood vessels

Causes of maroon or bright red, bloody stools are:
1. Anal fissures - cuts or tears in the anus due to straining.
2. Bowel ischemia
3. Colon polyps bunch of cells protruding from the lining of the colon or colon cancer
4. Diverticulitis - pockets of blood bulging from the bowel wall
5. Hemorrhoids - engorged veins in the anus or rectal region
6. Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis - inflammation of the walls of the bowel
7. Intestinal infection
8. Small bowel tumor
9. Existence of strange body in the lower gastrointestinal tract.

ANAL BLEEDING
Anal bleeding is an indication of some other disease. If you notice blood coming from that region, seek medical attention instantly. If you are 50 or older and is experiencing anal bleeding, consult a doctor. The same applies if your family has a history of colon or rectal cancer. You must also get medical attention if you notice bleeding between bowel movements or if stools are dark red or tarry.
Common causes of anal bleeding are:
Hemorrhoids - these are enlarged veins in the anus that can break and cause bleeding. They may be present inside or outside the anal. Individuals get hemorrhoids by straining too hard.
Anal fissures - these are slits in the lining of the rectum and they come about as a result of straining. Bleeding is gentle with bright red blood.
Infections - this may be the result of eating contaminated food.
Inflammation- e.g. Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn's Disease. Bleeding is often mixed with stools.
Colon Polyps - these are small bunches of cells protruding from the lining of the colon and may be cancerous. They can cause bright red blood or occult bleeding.
Colon cancer
Rectal cancer
Diverticular disease - caused by pouches in the wall of the colon and can cause severe bleeding.
Angiodysplasia - this causes enlarged veins in the wall of the right colon. If the veins become weak they will start bleeding.
Tumors - they are similar to polyps and are located in the colon.
Consuming a foreign object - if this occurs, the object can injure the stomach lining and cause anal bleeding.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Please visit this link for more information on: Hematochezia and this link for an interesting article on Anal Bleeding.

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