Bloody stool is an abnormal finding. Although on a microscopic scale our bodies discard spent and dead blood cells regularly, visible and/or testable blood in the stool reflects a problem. The presence of bright or dark "tarry" stools is very...
If you see blood in your child's diaper or in the toilet, it may cause panic and alarm. While blood in the stool can indicate a serious problem, the majority of the time it is caused by a minor condition that is easy to treat or to cure. Call your...
Another cause of blood appearing in the stool can be hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are made up of swollen veins that appear in the rectum and anus. These veins, when they get swollen, can become inflamed and swollen which can lead to rectal bleeding....
Blood in or on your stool can be startling and quite frightening. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that bloody stools can indicate an injury or disorder in your digestive tract. Call your doctor right away so he can run tests and...
Iron is an essential mineral that is important in the production of red blood cells. Lack of iron in the diet leads to iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency may also be caused by excess blood loss due to menstruation, burns, stomach ulcers,...
Finding blood in an infant's stool can be frightening for parents, but most of the time the blood doesn't signal a major problem. Nonetheless, parents should always report any blood in a baby's feces or found in his diaper to a pediatrician. Since...
Fresh blood in the stool is caused by bleeding in the digestive system. When the blood is fresh, it is generally caused by bleeding from the rectum or from the lower colon, because blood from higher in the gastrointestinal system (such as the...
According to the Mayo Clinic, blood clots in the stool or fecal material are evidence of a bleed somewhere in the gastrointestinal system. Blood clots in the stool will often be accompanied by unclotted blood. If the unclotted blood is bright red,...
Blood and mucus in a child's stool can be alarming to parents. There are several causes of rectal bleeding, and doctors can determine the cause based on taking a careful history and an examination and through imaging and laboratory testing....
Salmonella is a type of bacterial infection that impacts the intestinal tract. Normally the bacteria exists in the intestines of humans and animals and is shed through feces. Salmonella infection in pregnancy can cause health risks to the unborn...
Blood in a 2-week-old baby's stool upsets parents, usually more than it upsets the baby. Virtually every baby passes blood in the stool at least once during their infancy, pediatrician and author William Sears, M.D. explains. While some causes of...
The digestive system is made up of a series of tissues that mechanically and chemically digest food and absorb nutrients into the body to sustain life. The length of the digestive system is lined with membranes that contain specialized digestive...
Beets have been used for centuries in making a Russian soup called borscht. Today, beets are more mainstream, appearing on the menus of fine restaurants and in recipes on trendy food websites. Before you search for a recipe with red beets, be...
Over 100,000 people were affected by colon cancer in 2010, according to estimates provided by the National Cancer Institute. This form of cancer affects the colon, the longest region of the large intestine. Colon cancer often results in stool...
Shigellosis is an intestinal disease caused by the shigella family of bacteria. There are several kinds of shigella bacteria, but shigella flexerni, also known as group B, accounts for about one-third of all shigella infections in the United...
Although blood in a baby's stool is an alarming sight for parents, it's usually not an an emergency. More often it's an easily resolved problem. Whatever the cause, however, it's always a good idea to give your pediatrician a call.
Your child's digestive or gastrointestinal tract includes his esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, rectum and his anus. Bleeding can come from any of these areas, and it may even occur without you or your child noticing it, according to...
Blood in the stool originates from one thing: bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract. The bleed may be slow and chronic or swift and of sudden onset. In diagnosing the cause of blood in the stool the first step is to find the source of the bleed...
The presence of blood in an infant's stool is alarming for any parent. While there may be a number of causes, noting symptoms and important characteristics are key in helping a doctor properly diagnose and treat an infant. Pinpointing possible...
Rectal bleeding is defined by MayoClinic.com as any bleeding that occurs from the lower colon to the rectum, the last part of the large intestine. Rectal bleeding is made apparent when blood is visible in the stool or on toilet paper. Blood...
While a change in a child's stool color can be alarming to parents, stool color discolorations are not always a sign of serious illness. To know how to handle a stool color that is anything other than brown or tan, parent must recognize which...
Blood in the stool is a common cause of dark stools, and can get into stools through internal bleeding in one of the organs of the digestive system. Blood then enters the alimentary canal, the space in which food is processed, and mixes with...
Seeing blood in your diarrhea can be an alarming sight. If you develop diarrhea whenever you eat soy-based products, you need to be tested for a soy allergy. If you are diagnosed with a soy allergy, you need to avoid eating soy to prevent diarrhea...
The appearance of blood and mucus in a baby's stool can be frightening for parents. Most cases of blood and mucus are harmless to the baby and either go away on their own or are easily corrected. However, parents should report any blood and mucus...
Blood in the stool is alarming. It's often due to an injury or disorder of the digestive tract. Appearance of blood in the stool can range from bright red to black and can originate from any part of the digestive tract, according to the University...
Seeing blood in the stool is alarming. Stools that contain blood may appear black, tarry, maroon or red, depending on where the bleeding originates in the gastrointestinal tract, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Blood in the...
Blood in the stools is an alarming sight, particularly when it affects your child. However, bloody stools are surprisingly common in babies and young children, and they don't necessarily warrant a panic-stricken trip to the emergency room, reports...
Diarrhea is a loose, watery stool that occurs more often than regular bowel movements. Additional symptoms such as abdominal cramping, bloating and fever may accompany the watery stool. Diarrhea may occur because of a viral or bacterial infection,...
Infants, especially breastfed babies, have a wide variety of stools. The bowel movements of your infant can indicate underlying conditions regarding his health and development. Mucus inside the stools may be a sign of teething, a virus or even a...
Ulcers are caused most frequently by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Symptoms included burning in the abdomen, pain and blood in the stool. Learn more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of ulcers in this health video.
Milk allergies are the most common food allergy in babies, though most children will grow out of the allergy by age two. Learn more about milk allergies in this health and nutrition video.
