Rectal Bleeding: Causes and When to Worry

Common causes

• Hemorrhoids — painless bright-red bleeding
• Anal fissure — bleeding with sharp pain
• Colorectal polyps or cancer — often subtle, especially over age 50
• Inflammatory bowel disease — bloody diarrhoea, abdominal symptoms

What the colour suggests

Bright-red blood usually points to a source near the anus, while darker or tarry stool can indicate bleeding higher in the digestive tract. Colour alone is not diagnostic.

When evaluation cannot wait

• New bleeding after age 50
• Bleeding with weight loss or change in bowel habit
• Recurrent or heavy bleeding
• Family history of colorectal cancer