Bloody Stools
Gastroenterologist in Beverly Hills
If you have blood in your stool, it means that are you hemorrhaging somewhere in your digestive tract. Different levels of blood in your stool can mean different things. If you do not see any blood, but your stool is a dark black or cherry red color, this may mean you have internal bleeding as well.
What Could It Mean?
Bloody stools can be indicative of a number of conditions, including:
- Diverticulosis
- Hemorrhoids
- Anal fissures
- Colitis
- Stomach/small bowel ulcers
- Colon polyps or cancer
- Bleeding from an artery or vein in the intestinal tract
Diagnosis
Diagnosing the reason for bloody stool may require various tests and procedures, including colonoscopy, upper endoscopy (or EGD), and small bowel capsule endoscopy. Contact Center for GI Health at (310) 657-4444 to learn more about our testing and diagnosis
