Bowel blockage can also be accompanied by painful abdominal cramps, bloating and constipation. Nausea and vomiting are symptoms of a range of conditions, which may be benign or serious. If you experience persistent nausea, signs of dehydration or vomiting that lasts for more than 24 hours, seek immediate medical treatment. Anemia is a blood disorder characterized by a deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin. In patients with colon or rectal cancer, intestinal bleeding may cause anemia.
Depending on the location of the bleeding within the colon, anemia can be the first sign that blood loss is occurring. Common symptoms of anemia include skin pallor paleness , increased heart rate, fatigue, dizziness and irregular menstruation. Losing weight, losing your appetite or feeling weak are all possible signs of colon or rectal cancer along with many other unrelated conditions.
In patients with colon or rectal cancer, these symptoms are usually related. Persistent diarrhea can cause weight loss.
All these issues, as well as anemia, can lead to weakness. Pain in the pelvic area is not common in patients with colon or rectal cancer. Cholangitis is inflammation swelling in the bile duct. Treatment depends on your symptoms and whether you have chronic or acute cholangitis. Gastroparesis is a condition in which your stomach empties into your small intestine too slowly. Learn about the best diet for gastroparesis and what…. Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas and causes abdominal tenderness and pain.
Learn more. What does a gastroenterologist do, and when should you see one? Here's what you should know before making an appointment. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Causes Symptoms When to seek help Will rectal bleeding go away on its own? Diagnosis Treatment Takeaway We include products we think are useful for our readers.
Causes of rectal bleeding. When should I seek medical help? Will rectal bleeding go away on its own? How is rectal bleeding diagnosed? How is rectal bleeding treated? Read this next. Medically reviewed by Saurabh Sethi, M. Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M. Anal Fissure. Proctitis refers to inflammation of the lining of the rectum.
It can be caused by previous radiation therapy for various cancers, medications, infections or a limited form of inflammatory bowel disease IBD. Other symptoms include passing mucus through the rectum, rectal bleeding and pain in the area of the anus and rectum. Treatment for proctitis depends on the cause. Your doctor will discuss the appropriate course of action with you. Polyps are benign growths within the lining of the large bowel.
Although most do not cause symptoms, some polyps located in the lower colon and rectum may cause minor bleeding. It is important to remove these polyps because some of them may later turn into colon cancer if left alone. Colon cancer refers to cancer that starts in the large intestine. It can affect both men and women of all ethnic backgrounds and is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
Fortunately, it is generally a slow-growing cancer that can be cured if detected early. Most colon cancers develop from colon polyps over a period of several years. Therefore, removing colon polyps reduces the risk for colon cancer. Anal cancer is more rare but curable when diagnosed early.
Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome is an uncommon condition that can affect both men and women, and is associated with long-standing constipation and prolonged straining during bowel movement. In this condition, an area in the rectum typically in the form of a single ulcer leads to passing blood and mucus from the rectum.
Treatment involves fiber supplements to relieve constipation. For those with significant symptoms, surgery may be required.
Your doctor may examine the anus visually to look for anal fissures, cancer, or external hemorrhoids, or the doctor may perform an internal examination with a gloved, lubricated finger to feel for abnormalities in the lower rectum and anal canal.
If indicated, your doctor may also perform a procedure called colonoscopy. In this procedure, a flexible, lighted tube about the thickness of your finger is inserted into the anus to examine the entire colon. Sedative medications are typically given for colonoscopy to make you sleepy and decrease any discomfort.
As an alternative, to evaluate your bleeding your doctor may recommend a flexible sigmoidoscopy, which uses a shorter tube with a camera to examine the lower colon. To examine only the lower rectum and anal canal, an anoscope may be used.
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