Bleeding from the bottom (rectal bleeding)
A small amount of one-off bleeding from the bottom isn't usually a serious problem. But a GP can check.
Check if you're bleeding from the bottom
You might be bleeding from the bottom if you have:
- blood on your toilet paper
- red streaks on the outside of your poo
- pink water in the toilet bowl
- blood in your poo or bloody diarrhoea
- very dark, smelly poo (this can be blood mixed in poo)
A small amount of one-off bleeding can often go away on its own without needing treatment.
See a GP if:
- your child has blood in their poo
- you've had blood in your poo for 3 weeks
- your poo has been softer, thinner or longer than normal for 3 weeks
- you're in a lot of pain around the bottom
- you have a pain or lump in your tummy
- you've been more tired than usual
- you've lost weight for no reason
Get an urgent appointment or call 111 if:
- your poo is black or dark red
- you have bloody diarrhoea for no obvious reason
Go to A&E or call 999 if:
- you're bleeding non-stop
- there's a lot of blood – for example, the toilet water turns red or you see large blood clots
What happens at your GP appointment
The GP will check what's causing your symptoms.
They might:
- check your bottom (rectum) with a gloved finger
- ask for a sample of poo for testing
- refer you to a specialist for tests
Bleeding from the bottom is sometimes a sign of bowel cancer. This is easier to treat if it's found early, so it's important to get it checked.
Common causes of bleeding from the bottom
If you have other symptoms, this might give you an idea of the cause. Don't self-diagnose – see your GP if you're worried.
| Symptoms | Possible causes |
|---|---|
| Bright red blood and pain when pooing, itchy bottom, lumps | piles (haemorrhoids) |
| Bright red blood and pain when pooing – often after constipation | a small tear in your anus (anal fissure) |
| Bleeding with or without lumps, itching or pain | sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like genital warts, damage from anal sex |
| Bright red blood without pain | side effect of blood-thinning medication like warfarin or aspirin, broken blood vessels in the gut (angiodysplasia) |
Poo can look like it's mixed with blood if you've eaten a lot of red or purple foods like tomatoes and beetroot.
But it's sometimes a sign of something else. A GP can check if you're worried.
| Symptoms | Possible causes |
|---|---|
| Blood and yellow slime when pooing, irritated anus, non-stop bottom pain | anal fistula |
| Bloody diarrhoea with clear slime, feeling and being sick | tummy bug (gastroenteritis) |
| Bloody diarrhoea, tummy cramps and pain, feeling bloated | an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease |
| Blood in poo | bleeding in the anus, bowel or lower gut (gastrointestinal tract) from injury or another problem |
| Blood in poo, change in pooing habits (like looser poo, diarrhoea or constipation), slime with poo | bowel polyps, early signs of bowel cancer |
Poo can look very dark or black if you:
- take iron tablets
- eat a lot of dark foods like licorice and blueberries
But it's sometimes a sign of something else. A GP can do a test to check this if you're worried.
| Symptoms | Possible causes |
|---|---|
| Dark or black poo | bleeding in the stomach or gut (gastrointestinal tract) – can be from injury or a side effect of blood-thinning medication like warfarin or aspirin |
| Dark blood or poo with tummy pain or cramps | stomach ulcer, diverticular disease and diverticulitis |
| Dark blood without pain | blood-thinning medication like warfarin or aspirin, angiodysplasia (broken blood vessels in the gut) |
