Digestive Tract Symptoms

Digestive Problem Symptoms - other than the excessive gas with stomach cramps and pains, there are a number of accompanying systems which can signal various digestive problems and disorders.

• When Did Bloody Stools Start
• Pain, Severity, and Frequency
• Is blood mixed well with stool
• Is stool black and tarry
• Shade of the blood
• Does bloody stool only occur with menstruation
• Family History with similar conditions
• History of related conditions
• Are you taking any Medications
• Alcohol History
• Diarrhea with Mucous
• Fever and Bloody Stool
• Obstruction Symptoms like Abdominal pain, vomiting, distension or absolute constipation
• Painful Bowel Movements
• Urination Urgency or Unsatisfied Defecation
• Red Poop and Anal Itch
• Red Poop and Constipation
• Lethargy, dizziness, depression, shortness of breath or angina
• Easy bruising, bleeding gums, bleeding nose, blood in the urine, or swollen painful joints

How Long Since Bloody Stool Started?

Doctors ask this to establish whether the condition is chronic. Chronic blood in stool indicates a serious digestive tract problem or even cancer in the digestive tract.

On the other hand, if the red stools just started, it may help either with early prevention or suggest a misdiagnosed or simple problem.

Pain Presence, Severity and Frequency

Presence of severe rectal bleeding would suggest serious medical problems such as

• Angiodysplasia
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Amoebic Dysentery
• Bacillary dysentery
• Intussusception
• Mesenteric thrombosis or embolism
• Diverticulitis
• Ischemic colitis and coagulation disorders

The site of the bleeding can be anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract since massive bleeding even from the stomach or duodenum may pass rapidly to rectum without becoming discolored to form melena (black tarry stool).

Is the blood mixed well with stool?

This might suggest gravely serious medical problems such

• Colon Cancer - deadly form of cancer
• Ulcerative Colitis - digestive disease related to Crohn's
• Crohn's disease - digestive disease related to Ulcerative Colitis
• Meckel's diverticulum - blockages in the digestive tract
• Diverticulitis - digestive problem linked to growths and blockages in the digestive tract
• Large polyp
• Coagulation disorder

Blood on the toilet paper is typical of an anal cause.

Is stool black and tarry?

This is usually due to bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract.

What is the shade of the blood?

Sometimes the color may be black, or dark brown and appear red. Different shades of red imply differences in the location and type of the bleeding. Take a look at what different colors of stool mean.

Does bloody stool only occur with menstruation?

This may suggest rectal endometriosis.

Family Medical History with a similar condition?

Colon or rectal cancer, bleeding disorders and inflammatory bowel disease all have strong genetic correlations. Crohns disease and sickle cell also have strong familial ties. Also, people with family history of having weak stomachs are susceptible to developing problems causing bloody stools.

Ischemic colitis occurs in the setting of widespread peripheral vascular disease or cardiac disease; bleeding disorders.

Are you taking any Medications?

The following medications can increase the risk of bloody stools:

• High doses of aspirin
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications
• Certain antibiotics including clindomycin
• Gentamycin
• Erythromycin

Do You Have Alcohol History?

Alcohol damages the liver and blood circulation and regular alcohol drinkers may be at an increased risk of liver problems, poor blood vessel health, and these conditions

• Chronic Liver Disease
• Icterus - jaundice and yellowing of skin
• Portal Hypertension
• Pesultant varices
• Hemorrhoids
• Colon Cancer
• Kidney Disease

Mucous Diarrhea

Presence of diarrhea or mucous in addition to sometimes bloody stool can mean a number of serious digestive problems

• Ulcerative Colitis
• Crohn's Disease
• Amoebic Dysentery
• Bacterial Dysentery - shigella, campylobacter jejuni, yersinia enterocolitica, enteroinvasive and enterohemorrhagic E.Coli
• Salmonella Poisoning

Fever and Red Stool

Fever is a sign of

• Ulcerative Colitis
• Amoebic dysentery
• Bacterial dysentery
• Chronic liver disease

Abdominal pain, vomiting, bloating or Constipation

Digestive obstruction symptoms suggest inflammation or growths along the gastrointestinal tract that prevent proper flow of food along the digestive tract. It indicates possible

• Cancers of the digestive tract
• Intussusception
• Abdominal Bloating
• Mesenteric thrombosis
• Embolism
• Excessive Gas

Painful Bowel Movements

Anal fissures or Thrombosed hemorrhoids can cause painful bowel movements. Other causes can be constipation or a growth blocking the stool from passing, making it difficult to pass stool (poop). The blockage could be colon polyps. Not all polyps are a sign of colon cancer. Polyps can be benign.

If you are concerned with these topics, you would be well advised to read up on colon cancer, different types of colon cancer tests like the colonoscopy procedure and many more.

Urination Urgency or Unsatisfied Defecation

This is suggestive of problem with the rectum like

• Hemmorhoids
• Anal Fissures
• Anal Abscess/Fistula

Red Poop and Anal Itch

This is suggestive of hemorrhoids, fissure or diarrhea causing irritation.

Red Poop and Constipation?

This may suggest hemorrhoids, anal fissure, diverticulitis, cancer of the rectum or left side of colon. Hopefully the red poop is just from straining and is not due to a life-threatening digestive problem.

Lethargy, dizziness, depression, shortness of breath or angina

Symptoms of weakness without fevers and/or vomiting are typically indicative of iron deficiency anemia.

Easy bruising, bleeding gums, nose, or swollen painful joints

These are often symptoms of bleeding disorders and possibly not related to digestive tract problems.