14 Possible Causes of Blood in Stool

Whether you discover it while wiping after passing a bowel movement, you find that there is bright red or a dark color in the toilet after using the bathroom, or a test ordered by a health care provider reveals that there is blood in your stool, the discovery can be extremely frightening.

Medically referred to as mehatochezia, blood in the stool can occur for a number of reasons, from nothing seriously concerning to severe health conditions. Whatever the reason, finding out that your stool is bloody is definitely something that can be alarming and raise serious concern. Bloody stool can appear bright red in color, or it can cause your stool to be dark in color; almost black. What causes bloody bowel movements? Here’s a look at 9 possible causes.

1. Hemorrhoids

One of the most common causes of blood in the stool is related to hemorrhoids. Also known as piles, hemorrhoids are a very common condition that can affect people of all ages, from babies to the elderly. The anus and rectum are full of veins. Those veins can become inflamed, and when they do, hemorrhoids develop. Hemorrhoids can develop for a number of reasons.

They can be the result of constipation, passing frequent bowel movements, sitting on the toilet or hard surfaces too long, pushing too hard when trying to pass a stool, and they can also be the result of the excess pressure put on the veins in the rectum during pregnancy. Whatever the cause, hemorrhoids can lead to blood stool. This blood is usually bright red in color and is noticeable when you wipe, it may be visible in the stool itself, or both. While they usually aren’t dangerous, hemorrhoids can be very uncomfortable.