Results

Cause of your symptoms

Your rectal bleeding is probably from piles and your change in bowel habit and abdominal pain may have been caused by something you have eaten.

Advice

Try the simple treatments outlined below for two weeks.

Treatments

Eat more roughage to make your stools softer and easier to pass and if necessary take antispasmodic tablets for your abdominal pain. It is normal to strain a little when passing a motion but too much can cause bleeding. Try careful cleaning 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 else needs to be done. However, if your symptoms persist for 2 more weeks or recur after stopping treatment, see your GP.

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You are over 50 years old and have rectal bleeding with pile symptoms, a non-specific change in bowel habit and abdominal pain with a normal appetite and no weight loss

Additional information if you see your GP

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

In healthy patients aged 50-70 years old who have not had previous colonic imaging a single flexible sigmoidoscopy has the added benefit of detecting incidental but significant adenomatous polyps which if removed may prevent a future cancer - ‘opportunistic screening'