Understanding Bloody Stool With Mucus: Causes, Treatment & More

Finding blood or mucus in your stools, especially when you wake up, can be alarming and frustrating. If you’re experiencing this, it’s important to consult a doctor, as it may indicate conditions like ulcers or infections caused by bacteria or viruses. In some cases, it could be linked to more serious issues such as rectal or colon cancer.

Understanding the causes of bloody stool with mucus (medically known as hematochezia) is crucial for proper treatment. Options like medication can help ease the discomfort and address the underlying issue. Let's explore the causes of blood mixed with mucus in stool and learn how to effectively manage and treat them.

Causes of Bloody stool with mucus

The different causes for mucus-covered blood in the stool can be:-

1. Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammation of the bowels. An unusually long-term disorder produces inflammation in the rectum or large intestines. These can be dealing with diarrhea, tiredness, or an abundance of mucus in bloody stool.

2. Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease affecting the gastrointestinal system. Some early signs can be diarrhea, stool cramping, and abnormal bowel syndrome. This can be linked to diarrhea, a symptom of IBS.

3. Intestinal infections

Intestinal infection can also lead to the development of rectal bleeding with mucus. That can be due to salmonella and shigellosis. It can occur due to consuming contaminated foods, and Clostridium infection can cause severe and even life-threatening diarrhea. It can be destructive and often has mucus.

4. Food poisoning

Several flu-like symptoms and the stools can have blood and mucus, and you have a food position. It usually clears up within days.

5. Colon cancer and Rectal cancer

Colon or rectal cancer causes symptoms like mucus-covered bloody stool, rectal bleeding, sudden decrease in weight, and other issues like malabsorption, a condition that occurs when the bowel finds it challenging to absorb the nutrition in the body, and these constitutions can lead to lactose intolerance and celiac disease.

6. Proctitis

That is an inflammation in the lower part of the intestine called the rectum, and sexually transmitted infections or food-borne illnesses can cause this blood and stool in mucus.

7. Anal fissures and fistula

An abscess of infection in the perianal area of the human body can cause pockets of mucous colitis inside the body that can occur in people with Crohn's disease. In some cases, there can be abscesses that can get large and can form a tunnel between organs or between skin and organs. Ostomy is a surgical procedure that can credit alternative ways for the urine and feces to leave the body, and after the operation, the waste is passed through the rectum and still can produce fluids. This fluid can build up and may help pass stools.

8. Bacterial infections

Some bacterial infections, such as campylobacter, can cause hemorrhagic diarrhea in the blood and may require medical attention. So keep an eye on the causes of bloody diarrhea with mucus and other infections that might be the reasons for the same. Bowel obstruction can sometimes be caused due to hernia, adhesions, gallstones, and tumors, and swallowing of an object that is not food obstructs the passages of the bowels, which can lead to obstacles carrying the blood-streaked mucus in stool.

When To See a Doctor?

You should seek medical help when:

• You notice blood and mucus in stool for the first time

• You notice an increased amount of mucus in the stool

• It is happening regularly

• You notice any significant change in bowel habits

• The stool mixed with blood and mucus is accompanied by gastrointestinal bleeding.

• You have the following conditions: stomach cramping, persistent diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, blood in the stool, and weight loss.

Diagnosis of Actual Condition

To diagnose and pinpoint the actual root cause of bloody stool with mucus, your healthcare provider will start by asking some questions related to your medical history and bowel movement patterns in the past and what has changed now. Based on what you told your doctor, he will perform some medical tests to help assess the actual condition. The tests may include:-

• A Stool culture test in which a sample of your stool will be collected and sent for lab tests to examine the actual condition.

• Blood tests in which samples of your blood are collected and sent for lab tests to examine or diagnose related conditions such as anemia which is very common in digestive conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

• Imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans, and in some cases, even MRI scans to ascertain the internal conditions of your Gastrointestinal tract.

• Highly advanced tests such as Endoscopy which includes colonoscopy to view the inside of your colon and rectum.

• A rectal culture test in which your doctor will take a swab off your rectum to check for a sample of any bacteria that might be there.

Treatment of Bloody Stool with Mucus

The treatment is carried out depending on the type of diagnosis. It can play a mild role in lifestyle changes that can rely on the diagnosis of the condition. Various lifestyle changes can also help with colorectal irritation in the stools.

Mucus in stools can be a symptom of an underlying condition. Hence, it is essential to treat those conditions after diagnosis to deal with the condition.

• If it is mild, then lifestyle changes can play a significant role in resolving the problems of a major role, and these changes can be made by increasing the intake of fluids like drinking water and oral resolves.

• Consume products rich in probiotics, like curd and probiotic capsules.

• Try to shift focus to nutrition-balanced meals.

• Patients who have a chronic condition should get in touch with their doctors.

• Adopt simple workouts that can help soothe the body, like yoga.

• Start going for regular walks in the park and try to walk for at least thirty minutes a day.

• Start eating food and vegetables with more fiber, like cucumber, spinach, etc., than potatoes and other starchy vegetables.

• Start doing activities outdoors to get some fresh air.

• Practice yoga and meditation to relieve any stress.

• Start taking the medication per the prescription to help deal with rectal discharge (mucus with blood in stool) and intestinal inflammation.

Conclusion

Bloody stool with mucus can result from various causes, such as ulcers, cancer, food poisoning, or infections. Patients must understand the underlying reasons behind rectal pain and blood or mucus-filled stools. Diagnostic tests play a key role in identifying the cause and ruling out other conditions. 

Based on the diagnosis, doctors may recommend treatments such as therapies, medications, or, in rare cases, surgeries. Most patients won’t require surgery, but consulting the best gastroenterologist is essential to receive accurate guidance and effective care for managing this condition.

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