When the body does something unusual, it’s typically the body’s way of telling you there’s something wrong. The human body is highly complex, and all sorts of issues can occur for various reasons, though it’s not always easy to conclude that something is amiss. However, some symptoms can be rather alarming, even when the underlying cause isn’t such a bad thing. For example, everyone has to go through bowel movements to help rid the body of waste. While everyone is used to bowel movements, it can be anxiety-inducing when you wipe and realize there’s blood on the stool.
Anal bleeding can be scary, but the good news is it can be a relatively common symptom. In such cases, the cause is usually benign, so there’s little reason to worry. However, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak to your doctor, as anal bleeding could potentially be the symptom of something more severe. Knowing is half the battle, so it’s a good idea to learn all about the different causes of anal bleeding — as it can help you avoid the most common triggers in the future.
Hemorrhoids
Typically, those who experience anal bleeding of any kind have hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are blood vessels inside and around the anus that are inflamed. It’s the most common cause of anal bleeding, as hemorrhoids affect about 1 in 20 people, though curiously, it affects 50% of Americans. While hemorrhoids could potentially be painless, when they develop outside the anus, they can come with a wide variety of symptoms. When hemorrhoids get large enough, they can cause problems with sitting and be very painful, especially during bowel movements.
For the hemorrhoids that develop outside the anus, the bowel movement usually doesn’t cause the bleeding — instead, it’s the act of wiping. On the other hand, if the hemorrhoids develop inside the anus, it’s typically the bowel movement that causes the bleeding. As far as the causes of hemorrhoids go, we’ll be looking into it as the list goes, as there’s a lot to talk about. The fortunate thing is that hemorrhoids aren’t a big enough issue to be considered a medical emergency.
Some treatments help deal with hemorrhoids, the most common being an elastic band wrapped around outside hemorrhoids to cut off the blood supply.
