Results
Advice
See your GP. Although the bleeding is probably from piles it is worth seeing your GP for further advice.
Summary of your symptoms
You are over 50 years old and have rectal bleeding with pile symptoms but no change in 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 your rectal 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 may prevent a bowel cancer developing in the future - ‘opportunistic screening'