Bleeding from your anus is not always benign

Low anterior resection in progress. This surgery is done for the treatment of cancer of the rectum and allows the patient to pass stools through the anus after the surgery

It is quite strange to see a patient complain of bleeding through the anus for months together prior to seeking any medical attention. It is a really sorry state to hear it from some of the educated patients of mine. Whether it is shyness to discuss something that seems enormously private or misunderstanding of the term piles or fear of surgery, it could turn out to be a grave error for the patient. Blood in your stools is a warning sign of something amiss in your lower part of the intestine.

Blood in your stools is indicative of a breach in the lining of your intestine. Bright red blood in your stools indicates a bleeding from the anal region. Your surgeon might ask whether it is painful bleed or a painless bleeding. Though this may help you in identifying the cause of disease, it is much more vital to understand that examination by a surgeon is a must, as many of the diseases of the anal canal have a similar way of presentation.

Cancers of the large bowel also present in a similar fashion. So the examination and the investigations are keyed to identify a large bowel cancer. You must remember that a young age alone cannot exclude malignancy and rule of a physical examination (especially, putting a finger into the anus to feel any abnormality) should never be breached.

An endoscopic examination of the large bowel (colonoscopy or a sigmoidoscopy) is always indicated. Patients who do not undergo this examination as a part of the treatment run the risk of having a cancer missed in the proximal portion and it is important that you undergo this examination to make sure everything is fine.

When the surgeon looks at the anal region as a part of the examination, it is possible to make the diagnosis in a most of the patients. Treatment of these diseases can be both medical and surgical, based on the severity of the disease. Apart from fistula in ano, which may be difficult to treat in small hospitals, the treatment of these diseases can be done in any hospital, with good results. The only advice I would give you is to pay attention when you see blood.

As a patient, getting medical help when you see blood will be the biggest favour you can do to yourself. And a proper medical examination and endoscopic examination of the large bowel will settle most of the issues leading to bleeding through the anus.

And treatment is possible and will be successful.