I’m 28 years old and here recently I have been seeing blood in my stool. Should I be worried?

Doctor Joshua’s Answer

There can be basically three types of blood in stool:

1) Bright red blood. By far the the most common reason is hemorrhoids (piles). Anal fissures are also typical causes. There are also other, more serious causes, which are rare in a young individual. The diagnosis is based on physical examination by primary care physician. Proctoscopy may be needed to rule out other causes.

2) Black stools colored by blood that has bled from further up the gastrointestinal system, for instance, a bleeding ulcer. This needs to be thoroughly evaluated.

3) Occult blood, which cannot be seen, but can be detected by a simple lab test (home tests are also available). This also needs to be evaluated thoroughly as the possible causes include serious conditions such as cancer.