Bowel movement is a topic that is very unpleasant to discuss. It should also be noted that people do not peer into the contents of their excreted, do not pay attention to any inclusions, as well as the structure of feces. This is wrong, because for some reason, mucus with blood in the stool will be a symptom of very serious health problems. The appearance of such impurities is an occasion to visit a doctor, and then carry out a full medical examination. Hurry if you find yourself mucus with blood. Color and consistency can be completely different. This will depend on the nature of a particular pathology. Parents should also be wary if they see mucus with blood in their child’s feces. Let's talk in more detail about this.
Causes of mucus in the blood
Lumps of mucus, as well as blood clots in the feces appear for various reasons. Some ailments are dangerous to health, and can also cause death. That is why you should not ignore the mucus with blood in the stool. Let us consider in more detail the causes of the appearance of such a symptom.
Anal fissures
This condition is very painful, as a person experiences pain due to tearing of the anus. With anal fissures, mucus appears with blood in the feces. In parallel with this, itching, bleeding from the anus. In some cases, it can be very strong. They treat anal fissures with local means, for example, suppositories, ointments with wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects.
It is quite difficult to treat such cracks, as this problem is often accompanied by chronic constipation. In this situation, healing will be slow. The fact is that solid stool during the exit of an organism from a person damages the intestinal membrane, which entails exacerbation and inflammation. Mucus with streaks of blood begins to appear. Soreness is so intense that a person has a desire to empty the intestines.
Colon disease
For what other reasons can mucus with streaks of blood in the stool appear? The most common disease that is characterized by the appearance of such a symptom is ulcerative colitis. This ailment is autoimmune in nature, and its treatment is quite difficult. The effectiveness of the treatment can be quite low. The entire inflammatory process entails the appearance of ulcers, erosion, which become the main cause of the appearance of mucus with blood in a child and an adult. Sometimes there is also an admixture of pus in the feces, due to which the stool emits an unpleasant odor. In addition to the fact that mucus with blood comes out with colitis, the following symptoms of the disease may also be present:
- Painful sensations, the intensity of which can be very strong.
- Diarrhea. It should be noted that the urge to empty the bowel occurs about 20 times a day.
- Elevated body temperature. This indicator can reach subfebrile values.
- Poor appetite or its complete absence. Sometimes this symptom provokes exhaustion of the patient.
- Flatulence.
At present, the main cause of ulcerative colitis has not yet been identified. But experts know that a fundamental role in the appearance of this disease belongs to autoimmune inflammation and genetic predisposition.
Small bowel disease
Intestinal bleeding has one feature: a change in feces is noticeable only a day after the development of the disease. Blood with mucus in the feces in an adult with diseases of the small intestine is poorly noticeable, since such inclusions are exposed to digestive enzymes per day. This is the reason for staining of feces not in the scarlet color characteristic of blood, but in black.
If you have black stools, liquid, then this is a signal that the bleeding occurred a day ago, so there is no need for therapeutic actions. Another situation will arise if the pathology continues to manifest itself, especially in children. This means that blood production is still ongoing.
In addition to the fact that diarrhea with blood and mucus can occur, the patient also worsens appetite, general well-being, and nausea and vomiting appear. Blood pressure decreases, the skin becomes pale, and bowel movements look like coffee grounds. The patient's performance is still reduced due to the weakness of the whole organism.
Diverticulosis
For what other reasons can mucus with blood appear in an adult? Adult patients may have streaks of blood if diverticulosis develops. So it is customary to call a disease that provokes a jam in the walls of the esophagus of food debris or feces. Bulging data is usually called diverticula. If the mass stagnates for a long time, then fermentation begins, as well as suppuration, and in conclusion - perforation of the walls.
A complication of diverticulosis is constipation of a chronic nature, an increase in body temperature, as well as strong painful sensations that are localized in the abdomen.
Polyposis
We continue to consider the causes of mucus with blood in adults. Polyps are formations that are benign in nature. For a long time they do not manifest themselves with any symptoms. The danger is that they are asymptomatic. Blood excretion is not detected for a long time. But when the process goes far, mucus and blood appear in the feces. If a person does not resort to surgery, then such polyps can develop into an oncological pathology.
Crohn's disease
Blood with mucus in a child and an adult can occur with the development of Crohn's disease. It represents a chronic, serious condition that affects absolutely the entire intestine, and not some of its department. Pathology is quite rare, it can be a consequence of an allergic reaction to a food product, smoking or stress. When the first symptoms appear, including the appearance of blood in the feces, it is imperative to visit the proctologist's office. This specialist should examine the tissue of the rectum, and then determine the list of additional necessary diagnostic procedures. As a rule, for the diagnosis, the patient is assigned a general blood test, a bacteriological analysis of feces, a coprogram, as well as a colonoscopy.
If in the process of such a diagnosis there is a suspicion of the development of concomitant diseases of the internal organs, then the patient is prescribed procedures such as gastroscopy, as well as ultrasound.
Slime comes out with blood
Blood that enters the feces in the gastrointestinal tract begins to stain the feces in a dark shade. This can be explained by the breakdown of hemoglobin, which is converted to iron.
Impurities of blood turn black, like stool. In addition, these processes will be symptoms of the following diseases:
- Varicose veins on the esophagus. This is a component of portal hypertension syndrome. It occurs during the diagnosis of cirrhosis. Vomiting, black stools, soreness behind the sternum after eating, increased heart rate are the main signs of this pathology. If the vein in the esophagus ruptures, a probe will be needed to compress the veins and stop the bleeding.
- A stomach ulcer as well as a duodenal ulcer. With this disease, discharge appears with blood and mucus. However, the blood in this case has a tarry tint. In parallel with this, the patient develops nausea, vomiting. Vomit in its composition also contains blood clots, which are similar to coffee grounds. To solve the problem, surgery is prescribed.
- Perforation of an ulcer. During this disease, the patient begins to complain of acute soreness, which is localized in the abdomen, as well as chills. The body is covered with cold sweat, and sometimes a person even loses consciousness. The main emergency method is to resect the stomach or duodenum.
- Stomach cancer. During stomach cancer, the patient begins to feel an aversion to foods, more specifically to meat. Blood tests are characteristic of anemia. The patient rapidly loses weight, becomes weak. In addition, the breakdown of tissues will cause bleeding, which is determined by the admixture of blood in the feces.
- Bowel cancer. The main symptom of this pathology is the alternation of constipation and diarrhea. In this case, bowel movement does not bring any satisfaction. The urge to empty is often false. Fecal masses are thin, ribbon-like, at an advanced stage of the disease, an admixture of blood can be seen.
You should also pay attention to the fact that blood, which is present in the feces, can act as a consequence of intoxication. For example, poisoning by poison for rodents or some poisonous herbs can be so strong that a person develops internal bleeding. In some cases, defecation with impurities of blood and mucus becomes a side effect of drug therapy with the use of "Diclofenac", "Aspirin", "Heparin". The use of these medicines must be discontinued if you find these problems.
What to do?
The human digestive tract is 10 m long. This means that blood penetrates the feces very rarely in its original form. Almost always blood discharge at the time of defecation undergo biochemical changes. If you find fresh blood in your stool, then most likely the source of bleeding is near the anus. As a rule, bleeding is localized in the rectum or in the lower part of the colon. In such cases, the blood will have a dark tint. Detection of bloody secretions in feces in the form of inclusions is possible only through some diagnostic procedures. During a visit to a specialist, it is necessary to immediately tell about alarming symptoms. The doctor should give directions for blood and feces.
Diagnostics
Consulting a doctor is a mandatory procedure for a patient who has discovered bloody secretions and mucus in his stool. As a rule, a proctologist appoints a diagnosis, instrumental or laboratory, which includes the following measures:
- Fecal analysis.
- Rectal diagnosis.
- Inspection of the anus.
- Sigmoidoscopy.
If after these diagnostic procedures the problem is still unclear, then the patient must undergo an ultrasound examination of the intestine, as well as an x-ray of the gastrointestinal tract. Also, a specialist, if necessary, can prescribe a colonoscopy for the patient. It is worthwhile to consult with a gastroenterologist who requires a gastroscopy to clarify the cause of the appearance of a blood impurity in the feces.
Therapies
The detection of bloody secretions, as well as transparent mucus in the stool, is an occasion for early treatment. The tactics of such treatment will ideally be determined by a group of doctors, which includes a proctologist, infectious disease specialist, hematologist, surgeon, and also an oncologist.
If during treatment a sharp increase in blood in the stool is detected, then an ambulance must be called. Massive bleeding can pose a threat to the patient’s life, but emergency hospitalization can save his life.
The method of treating blood in feces will be determined by the nature of a particular disease. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor whose profile has bleeding. For example, if mucus and blood in the feces are a consequence of an oncological disease, then a person should go to an oncologist. If the red clots have a bright shade, then this is a sign of a crack in the anus, so the treatment will be carried out by a proctologist.
During the consultation with the doctor, it is necessary to list the complaints, as well as indicate the external signs of an admixture of mucus and blood in the feces. Thus, it will be possible to create a clinical picture, which is the key to a correctly drawn up research plan, as well as prescribed therapy. The main part of the pathologies that are accompanied by bloody inclusions in the feces has a chronic form, so without proper treatment the patient’s condition will only worsen over time.
Recommendations
First of all, you need to make sure that you have no serious symptoms. Self-medication must be practiced after the approval of a specialist. You can eliminate mucus in the stool using the following methods:
- Compliance with the diet. To do this, it is necessary to exclude fried, spicy, sour, as well as very rough food from your diet. You should also avoid eating too hot food, cold dishes. It is necessary to eat fractionally.
- Light gymnastics should be performed to eliminate constipation.
- As drinks, use boiled water, as well as pasteurized dairy products.
- The proper heat treatment of the products should be monitored.
- It is also necessary to control the expiration dates, the quality of the food consumed.
- You will have to abandon colored and flavored toilet paper, observe the hygiene of the anus and perineum.
Effects
Blood in the stool with mucus is an alarm. Lack of treatment can provoke very serious complications, for example, oncology or death. Therefore, do not ignore the symptom.