Results

Cause of your symptoms

Your rectal bleeding is probably from piles.

Advice

Try the treatments outlined below for four weeks.

Treatments

Eat more roughage to make your stools softer and easier to pass. It is normal to strain a little when passing a motion but too much can cause bleeding. Try careful cleaning of the skin around your bottom for your pile symptoms and if necessary use creams and suppositories. A pharmacist can advise on suitable treatments.

What now?

If you get better nothing further needs to be done. However, if the rectal bleeding persists for four more weeks or recurs after stopping the treatments see your GP.

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You are over 50yrs old and have rectal bleeding with pile symptoms, no change in your bowel habit and no abdominal pain

Additional information if you see your GP

Your GP will probably examine your tummy and back passage and do a blood test. If these are normal you are at low risk of having serious bowel disease and it would be reasonable to advise a further period of treat, watch and wait. However, if the bleeding does not settle completely or recurs after stopping treatment it is likely you will be referred to a routine hospital clinic for investigations and local treatments to stop the bleeding.

In healthy patients aged 50-70 years old not having previous colonic investigations, a single flexible sigmoidoscopy has the added benefit of detecting incidental but significant polyps which if removed will reduce the risk of having bowel cancer in the future - ‘opportunistic screening'