Many people think that blood in the stool is just a hemorrhoid, tolerate it or use some medicine and it will pass, there is no need to “make a fuss”. The most direct consequence of neglecting blood in the stool is that many diseases lose their optimal time for treatment. The most important thing is that you will be able to get the most out of the situation. It’s also important not to ignore hemorrhoids, because bleeding to a certain extent can lead to anemia, which not only causes serious damage to the body, but also makes it more difficult to treat hemorrhoids. Blood in the stool is a sign of dozens of anal and digestive tract diseases. We can make self-judgment based on a comprehensive analysis of the manner, amount, color and accompanying symptoms of blood in the stool, so that they can be dealt with in a timely and reasonable manner. What is blood in stool? A: Blood in stool refers to bleeding from the digestive tract, where blood is discharged from the anus. The color of blood in stool can vary depending on the site of bleeding, the amount of bleeding, and the length of time the blood stays in the intestine, manifesting as bright red, dark red or black. Small amounts of bleeding that do not cause a change in stool color and can only be determined by an occult blood test are called occult blood. Black stool is a type of blood in the stool, mainly because the blood stays in the intestine for a long time, and after the red blood cells are destroyed, the hemoglobin combines with sulfide in the intestine to form ferrous sulfide, making the stool black and shiny with mucus, similar to tar, so it is also called “tar stool”. What are the diseases that cause blood in the stool? One of the most common symptoms of anorectal diseases is blood in the stool. For example, hemorrhoids, including internal hemorrhoids, mixed hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal canal polyps, rectal polyps, colorectal tumors, colonic polyposis, chronic colitis, bleeding bowel disease, and coagulation abnormalities. In addition, stomach and duodenal ulcers, abnormal coagulation function, etc. can also appear blood in the stool. What are the characteristics of the diagnosis and treatment of blood in stool in Chinese medicine? To answer this question, we first need to understand the characteristics and process of Chinese medicine. From the perspective of TCM, we do not only identify the disease, but also the evidence. The same disease will show different symptoms in different people, so we in TCM pay attention to “dialectical treatment”, and we will dialectical treatment through different manifestations of the patient, and according to the different dialectical treatment, we will carry out corresponding treatment. The onset of blood in stool is a common clinical condition in Chinese medicine, which is mostly related to external evil, poor diet and physical deficiency, often involving the liver, spleen, stomach, intestines and other internal organs. For example, in the case of bleeding hemorrhoids, the elderly are often seen to have a lack of qi and blood. How to distinguish diseases from the symptom of blood in stool? To distinguish disease from blood in stool, we have to consider several conditions. First, the color of the blood in the stool. Blood in the stool that occurs closer to the anal verge is usually bright red, such as hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal canal polyps, low rectal polyps and so on. As for diseases like colon tumors, colon polyposis, chronic colitis and high rectal polyps, the color of blood in the stool is dark red or purple because the site is far from the anal verge, and some of them also have mucus and pus. The second is the nature of the blood in the stool. In general, bleeding from hemorrhoids is sprayed or dripping; bleeding from anal fissures is mainly blood on stool paper; bleeding from chronic colitis is mainly mixed with stool, etc. The third is the accompanying symptoms other than blood in the stool. In addition to bleeding, hemorrhoids include prolapsed hemorrhoid nuclei in the anus; in anal fissure, there is pain during and after stool; in chronic colitis, there is often diarrhea; in colorectal tumors, there is often a change in stool habits, such as an increase in the number of bowel movements and thinning of stool. What should we do if there is blood in the stool? First of all, we should pay attention to the blood in stool, observe the color and characteristics of the blood in stool and other accompanying symptoms, so that we can provide accurate information to the doctor; secondly, we should go to a regular hospital, preferably to a specialist, who is experienced in the treatment of specialist diseases and has a low misdiagnosis rate, and can provide the best treatment plan for the patient; finally, colonoscopy is a necessary and reliable means to diagnose blood in stool. Finally, colonoscopy is a necessary and reliable means to diagnose blood in stool, and patients should not easily refuse the doctor’s request for colonoscopy due to fear, as many early colorectal tumors are detected by timely colonoscopy after the appearance of blood in stool. In daily life, how to prevent the occurrence of blood in stool? According to the current clinical statistics of our anorectal department, the most common causes of blood in the stool are hemorrhoids, anal fissures and colorectal tumors. The occurrence of these diseases is related to some of our usual living habits. Constipation and irregular bowel movements are common symptoms that accompany the occurrence of these diseases. Eating more food with high dietary fiber content, such as vegetables, fruits and coarse grains, can effectively improve these difficult defecation situations. In addition, moderate exercise, increased water intake, abdominal massage care, and good defecation habits will help our defecation situation, thus reducing the incidence of blood in the stool and achieving the purpose of preventing blood in the stool.