Causes of Bloody Defecation and Treatment

Gastrointestinal bleeding is the most common cause of bloody bowel movements. However, bleeding can occur in various parts of the digestive tract, resulting in different symptoms. The severity can also vary, ranging from mild to severe bleeding.

Causes of Bloody Defecation
Bleeding located in the upper and lower digestive tract can both be a cause of bloody bowel movements, it's just that the appearance of the blood is usually different.

Based on the appearance of blood in the stool, bloody bowel movements can be divided into two, namely hematochezia and melena. The details are as follows:

Hematochezia
Hematochezia usually results from bleeding in the lower digestive tract, especially in the large intestine. Some conditions that can cause hematochezia are;

• Hemorrhoids
• Diverticulitis
• Fissure ani
• Inflammatory bowel
• Ischemic colitis
• Benign polyps and tumors
• Colon cancer

Blood that comes out in hematochezia is bright red. This is because the bleeding occurs in an area not far from the rectum, so the blood that comes out during defecation is still fresh The blood can be mixed or separated with feces.

Melena

Melena usually occurs due to bleeding in the upper digestive tract, starting from the esophagus, stomach, to the duodenum. Some conditions that can cause melena are;

• Esophageal varices
• Gastritis
• Gastric ulcer
• Stomach cancer
• Mallory-Weiss syndrome

Blood that comes out of melena is dark red or even black. In addition, blood is also fully mixed with feces and smells rancid. This is because the bleeding occurs in the upper digestive tract, so the blood is mixed with stomach acids, digestive enzymes, bacteria in the large intestine, and the stool itself.

Although generally like this, the appearance of blood in the stool depends on how long the blood stays in the digestive tract. Therefore, it is not impossible that bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract can also cause hematochezia or bleeding in the lower digestive tract to cause melena.

How to deal with bloody bowel movements

The principle of handling bloody bowel movements is aimed at stopping bleeding and preventing bleeding from recurring. Doctors usually use endoscopy to determine the cause and location of bleeding. If possible, bleeding can also be treated through endoscopy.

Through endoscopy, doctors can;

• Inject drugs to stop the bleeding directly to the bleeding site.
• Stop bleeding with electric or laser current.
• Use clips on blood vessels to block bleeding.

If endoscopy cannot control bleeding, doctors can use angiography to inject drugs into blood vessels and stop bleeding.

However, if through both of these sources the source of bleeding cannot be found or treated, it is necessary to perform laparotomy surgery, especially if there is a lot of bleeding and the patient must be helped immediately.

In addition to dealing with bleeding that has already occurred, the doctor will also conduct therapy to address the causes of bloody bowel movements so that the bleeding does not recur. Example;

• Antibiotic therapy to treat pylori bacterial infections that cause chronic gastritis.
• Anti-inflammatory drug therapy to treat colitis.
• Surgical treatment to remove polyps or any part of the large intestine damaged by colon cancer, diverticulitis, or inflammatory bowel disease.
• Chemotherapy or radiation for cancer cannot be treated with surgery.

The cause of bloody bowel movements varies. Diagnosis and treatment also require a doctor's expertise. Because it can be caused by a life-threatening disease, these symptoms cannot be underestimated.

Immediately consult a doctor if you find blood during bowel movements, especially if accompanied by other complaints, such as abdominal pain, vomiting, or drastic weight loss in the past month.

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