Be alert to blood in the stool Blood in the stool is a common symptom of anorectal disease. Patients suffering from hemorrhoids, constipation, intestinal polyps, anal fissures, and other anorectal diseases may have blood in the stool. Therefore, it is important not to judge the cause of your illness by your personal feelings. Many patients think it is bleeding from anal fissures or that they have hemorrhoids. Because blood in stool is the main symptom of internal hemorrhoids, patients will think this way, but this is exactly the reason why many colorectal cancer patients lose the best time for treatment. Is blood in stool colorectal cancer? Blood in stool is a very common symptom of digestive tract disease, and some people do not think it is. Unbeknownst to them, the biggest hidden danger of blood in stool may be a sign of colorectal cancer. Especially for people who are older, they should not take blood in stool lightly. However, blood in stool is not a sign of colorectal cancer, because blood in stool can be caused by many other digestive tract diseases, such as hemorrhoids, anal fissures and colon polyps. Among these causes, bleeding hemorrhoids or colorectal cancer is the most common in adults, while bleeding polyps is the most common in children. Colorectal cancer vs. hemorrhoids Experts say that since both hemorrhoids and colorectal cancer are often associated with blood in the stool. Patients can also make a preliminary judgment by the regularity of defecation, whether there is pain when using the toilet, the color and odor of blood in the stool. Painless blood in the stool when using the toilet. Even jet-like bleeding is a characteristic of hemorrhoid blood in the stool. If the stool habit changes, the frequency of stool increases, and the bowel movement is incomplete. Dark red blood in stool and pus and putrid discharge mixed with stool are characteristics of colorectal cancer. What should I do if I have blood in stool? Once patients have blood in stool, the best way is to have timely examination and treatment to clarify the problem and exclude other diseases, especially to exclude intestinal malignant tumors. Many misdiagnoses and missed diagnoses of colorectal cancer are due to mistaking cancer blood in stool for hemorrhoid blood in stool. The easiest way is anoscopy, fecal occult blood test, and colonoscopy. Timely consultation and communication with specialists can facilitate early diagnosis and detection of colorectal cancer. Therefore, don’t let blood in the stool “blind you”.