What causes diarrhea with a little blood in the stool?
I've had diarrhea recently, and today I noticed some bright red blood in my stool. I'm also experiencing some mild abdominal pain. What could be causing this?
Doctor's answer (1)
Diarrhea accompanied by blood in the stool can be caused by various factors. Infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites may lead to acute gastroenteritis, presenting symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and blood in the stool.
Inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, are chronic conditions that cause persistent inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, manifesting as recurrent diarrhea, abdominal pain, and rectal bleeding.
When the skin around the anus splits or varicose veins develop into hemorrhoids, bright red blood may drip during bowel movements.
Blood in the stool is one of the main symptoms of rectal polyps. A definitive diagnosis usually requires a colonoscopy. Intestinal infections such as acute enteritis and bacterial dysentery can also cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, and mucus-filled stools mixed with pus and blood. For example, bacterial dysentery is caused by infection with Shigella bacteria, and diarrhea with blood in the stool is a typical symptom of this disease.
When encountering such situations, timely medical consultation is necessary. A clear diagnosis and targeted treatment can be achieved through detailed medical history inquiry, physical examination, and necessary laboratory tests and imaging studies (such as stool routine tests, blood tests, and endoscopic examinations).
