Results

Cause of your symptoms

The bleeding is probably from veins just inside your bottom which are commonly called ‘piles’ when they bleed.

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.

What now?

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

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You are over 50yrs old and have rectal bleeding without pile symptoms, no change in your bowel habit and no abdominal pain

Additional information if you see your GP

If you are over 60 years old you and have had persistent rectal bleeding for over six weeks you would merit referral to a two-week clinic. If you are below 60 years old and examinations of your tummy and back passage and a blood test are normal you are likely to 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'