Common causes of anal bleeding can include:
In the lower digestive tract, the large intestine and rectum are frequent sites of bleeding. Hemorrhoids are the most common cause of visible blood in the digestive tract, especially blood that appears bright red. Hemorrhoids are enlarged veins in the anal area that can rupture and produce bright red blood, which can show up in the toilet or on the toilet paper. If red blood is seen, however, it is essential to exclude other causes of anal bleeding since the anal area may also be the site of cuts (fissures), inflammation, or cancer.
Benign growths (which are non-cancerous) or polyps of the
colon are very common and are thought to be forerunners of cancer. These growths can cause either bright red blood or occult bleeding.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common of all cancers in the United States and often causes occult bleeding at some point, but not necessarily visible bleeding.
Inflammation from various causes can produce extensive bleeding from the colon. Different intestinal infections can cause inflammation and bloody
diarrhea. Ulcerative colitis can produce inflammation and extensive surface bleeding from tiny ulcerations. Crohn's disease of the large intestine can also produce bleeding.
Diverticular disease caused by diverticula (pouches in the colon wall) can result in massive bleeding.
Finally, as a person gets older, abnormalities may develop in the blood vessels of the large intestine (angiodysplasia). This may result in recurrent bleeding.
Patients taking blood-thinning medications (warfarin) may have gastrointestinal bleeding, especially if they take drugs like aspirin.
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