Is my Rectal Bleeding Colon Cancer or Hemorroids
Bright Red Blood in Stools
Any sort of bleeding that is not normal is always a concern, but for those who have a higher risk of health issues that run in the family, it can be especially daunting ! One of the scariest things to happen is having rectal bleeding. We know obviously that this is not normal, and generally tend to think the worst. such as "Is it colon caner ?"
Having a history of colon cancer in my family, I have studied up on it and hope to answer some of your questions.
If you are experiencing bright red blood in your stools or when you wipe, the cause is most likely hemorrhoids or a small tear in the anus. Colon cancer does not produce bright red blood.
Colon Cancer Symptoms
The biggest reason that colon cancer is hard to detect is that there are virtually no symptoms until it is in the later stages of cancer.
Unlike hemorrhoids, the blood that accompanies that of colon cancer is actually a light to dark brown. Making it virtually undetectable by the naked eye. To have it tested you have to take a sample of feces to the lab where blood can be detected.
Because of the blood loss, it can make someone anemic very easily.
Of course, if you have any sort of bleeding from the rectum that is a large quantity of blood you should go to the ER immediately.