What is the reason for the anus to bleed when going to the toilet?

When we have a bowel movement, we will pass through the anus. The anus is very important to our human body, but there are many problems with the anus. The symptoms caused by these problems are somewhat different, including blood in the anus when going to the toilet. This situation is caused by many reasons, including hemorrhoids. So what is going on with blood in the anus when going to the toilet?

Blood in the stool may be caused by small intestinal lesions, but more often it is bleeding in the sigmoid colon and rectum. In terms of the nature of the lesion, tumors, inflammation, deformities, etc. can all cause bloody stools. The brighter the red, the closer the bleeding site is to the anus.

The occurrence of bloody stools in middle-aged and elderly people, especially those with recent onset, should be taken more seriously than in young people. This is because with age, the number of neoplastic lesions (both benign and malignant) in the sigmoid colon and rectum increases significantly.

Hemorrhoids: If you have external hemorrhoids, you can feel a soft nodule at the anus, but you cannot feel internal hemorrhoids. The amount of bleeding is heavy and not mixed with the stool. Sometimes there is only blood stain on the toilet paper. The bleeding is often related to dry stool or excessive force during defecation.

Rectal and colon cancer: These diseases have increased significantly in recent years, and the incidence rate has increased by 2-3 times. At the beginning of the disease, a small amount of blood can be seen covering the surface of the stool. As the disease progresses, the amount of blood in the stool gradually increases, the stool may become thinner, and even intestinal obstruction may occur (no bowel movement, no flatulence, vomiting, abdominal masses, abdominal pain). The stool may have a special odor produced by pus, mucus and cancerous tissue. When systemic symptoms appear, such as decreased appetite, weight loss, edema, anemia, etc., the disease is already in the late stage.

Ulcerative colitis: The blood may be bright or dark in color, and almost every stool is mixed with blood and pus. There are often abdominal pain and diarrhea, which may recur or persist for a long time.

Colorectal polyps: Some are benign, while others are prone to malignant transformation (such as adenomatous polyps and villous adenomas). The incidence rate increases with age and may occur singly or multiple times. Blood in the stool is often intermittent and bright red in color. Generally, the amount of blood is not large and the blood is not mixed with the stool. There are no special changes in the stool itself.

Colonic vascular dysplasia: It is more common in middle-aged and elderly people. Bleeding is mostly fresh blood, the amount of bleeding is large, and there is no change in the stool itself.

Prevention: (1) Develop the habit of regular bowel movements, preferably with loose, mushy stools.

(2) Reduce postures that increase abdominal pressure, such as squatting and holding your breath, and avoid sitting, standing, walking for long periods of time and overwork.

(3) Avoid spicy, hot, greasy, rough, and residue-rich foods, and avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, and drinking coffee.

(4) Eat more foods that have the effects of clearing intestinal heat, moisturizing the mucous membrane, promoting bowel movements and stopping bleeding, such as raw pear juice, lotus root juice, water chestnut juice, reed root juice, celery juice, carrot, white radish (cooked), bitter melon, eggplant, cucumber, spinach, day lily, cabbage, egg yolk, apple, fig, banana, black sesame, walnut meat, white wood, etc.

(5) Be cheerful and don’t get angry. A bad mood, irritability or depression can cause the intestinal mucosa to contract and blood circulation to be impeded.

(6) Reduce sexual intercourse. Frequent sexual intercourse can cause congestion of the intestinal mucosa and aggravate bleeding.