


Go to the nearest emergency department as soon as possible or call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance. If you have blood in your stool and you feel faint, dizzy or light-headed, this may be an emergency. If you have any blood in your stool or bleeding from the anus, make sure you get it checked out by a doctor.Īs well as blood in your stool, you might have other symptoms that could indicate something more serious is going on. prolapse (when part of the rectum sticks out of the anus)ĬHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS - Use the Blood in stool and rectal problems Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.fistula (an abnormal opening in the rectum or anus).inflammatory bowel disease ( Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis).colorectal polyps, which are small growths that can become cancerous.anal fissures, which are small painful cracks in the anus.What causes blood in stools?īlood in your stool can be caused by many different things. If your stools are black and like tar, and they smell bad, this is also probably because the blood is coming from higher up in the bowel. If the blood is mixed in with your stool, this suggests bleeding might be from higher up in the bowel. Spots of red blood on the toilet paper, drops in the toilet bowl, blood on the surface of your stool or in your underwear indicate the bleeding is coming from the anus or lower rectum. How the blood looks depends on where it is coming from. What does blood in stools look like?īlood from your stool could look bright red, or it might be dark red or black. Go to the emergency department if you have heavy rectal bleeding and also have bad stomach pains.

If you have blood in your stools and you feel faint, dizzy or light-headed, this may be an emergency. But blood in your stool can indicate a range of problems, some of which are very serious. Many people dismiss this as nothing or they are too embarrassed to seek help. Related information on Australian websitesĪfter you have used the toilet, you might see blood in your poo (stool), spotting on the toilet paper or drops in the toilet bowl.What tests are used to find the cause of blood in stools?.
