Why is the stool red?

The stool is red, and this situation makes many people worried, so it is necessary to understand the causes. Usually, if the stool is dark red, you should be alert to whether it is caused by colon polyps and colon tumors. Gastrointestinal bleeding can also cause this symptom.

1. Dark red stool : The stool is evenly mixed with blood and is dark red, also known as jam color. Common in amoebic dysentery, colon polyps and colon tumors. In addition, certain special diseases, such as thrombocytopenic purpura, aplastic anemia, leukemia, hemorrhagic fever, etc., can also cause blood in the stool due to coagulation disorder. This blood in the stool is generally dark red, sometimes bright red, and is often accompanied by bleeding in the skin or other organs. Another situation is that normal people who consume excessive amounts of coffee, chocolate, cocoa, cherries, mulberries, etc. may also have dark red stools.

2. Light red stool : like the stool in meat washing water, this kind of stool is most common in summer due to eating certain pickled foods contaminated by halophilic bacteria. Common diarrhea is caused by Salmonella infection.

3. Bright red stool : common in lower gastrointestinal bleeding. If the outer layer is sticky with blood in a small amount and is accompanied by severe pain, which disappears after defecation, it is anal fissure. If the blood is bright red, in varying amounts or in the form of blood clots, attached to the outer layer of the stool and not mixed with the stool, and the blood or blood clots can be washed away with water, there may be internal hemorrhoid bleeding. Another characteristic of hemorrhoid bleeding is that a small amount of blood often drips or spurts out after defecation and stops on its own later. If the blood is bright red and mixed with the stool, it may be caused by intestinal polyps or rectal cancer or colon cancer. The bloody stool of rectal cancer is often mixed with erosive tissue. The bloody stools of colon cancer are characterized by fresh blood in small amounts accompanied by large amounts of mucus or pus.

4. When red stool appears, you should observe carefully for one or two days. If it is caused by an illness, you should go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time. In short, once blood in the stool occurs, the patient should go to the hospital in time to avoid delaying treatment.