Medicines for Rectal bleeding

What it is

Rectal bleeding means passing blood from the back passage. It is common and, in most cases, has a minor and treatable cause — such as haemorrhoids (piles) or a small tear (anal fissure), often noticed as bright red blood on the toilet paper, in the toilet bowl or on the stool. However, bleeding can occasionally be a sign of a more serious condition, including bowel polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, or bowel cancer — which is why any rectal bleeding should be checked by a doctor, particularly if it is persistent, comes with a change in bowel habit, tummy pain or weight loss, or occurs in older adults. The colour and pattern of the blood can give clues (bright red usually comes from lower down, while darker, tarry stools can indicate bleeding higher up), but assessment is needed to be sure.

How it is treated

The approach is to identify the cause so it can be treated and, importantly, to rule out serious conditions. A doctor will ask about the pattern of bleeding and other symptoms, examine the back passage, and arrange further tests where needed — which may include a camera test (such as a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy) depending on the person's age, symptoms and risk. Minor causes such as piles or fissures are then treated appropriately, often with simple measures, while any more serious cause is managed accordingly. Persistent bleeding, or bleeding with warning features, is investigated more urgently, sometimes via an urgent cancer-referral pathway. The key message is not to ignore rectal bleeding: while the cause is usually minor, checking it is the safe thing to do.