Red feces is the appearance of a reddish color of stools, which is often accompanied by pain and dyspeptic disorders. The symptom occurs with hemorrhoids, severe intestinal infections, inflammatory bowel disease and malignant tumors. To determine the cause of staining excrement in red, a coprogram, colonoscopy, and contrast radiography of the gastrointestinal tract are performed. To eliminate the identified pathology, antibiotics, anesthetics, and surgical methods of therapy are prescribed.
Most often, the appearance of red feces in adults is associated with eating large quantities of foods of the corresponding color - beets, tomatoes, berries. The reddish tint of stool is caused by artificial dyes in the composition of candy, carbonated drinks. In this case, the stool has a normal consistency, the frequency of defecation does not change. There are no other discomforts from the gastrointestinal tract. Normalization of the color of feces occurs in 1-2 days.
Blood from dilated hemorrhoids is released in drops already at the onset of the disease. In this case, the feces have a normal color, but red streaks become noticeable on its surface. The frequency of stool with hemorrhoids is reduced to 3-4 times a week, which is due to reflex spasm of the muscles of the rectal sphincter. Characterized by pain in the anus, which sharply increases with defecation.
As the disease progresses and the venous nodes increase in size, hemorrhoidal bleeding becomes more frequent. The stool becomes greasy or liquid and reddish in color due to the large amount of blood. In severe situations, with ulceration of the hemorrhoidal veins, profuse bleeding begins, in which the stool loses its fecal character, bright red blood is released from the anus.
The appearance of red inclusions in the stool is caused by inflammatory causes. In acute erosive proctitis, blood is released from the affected mucosa, which stains the stool. In the case of a bacterial infection, feces of a liquid consistency with abundant bloody-purulent inclusions are observed. Also, patients experience constant pain in the anal area with irradiation to the perineum and sacrum.
Isolation of red stool provokes anal fissures. They are characterized by the occurrence of severe sharp pain during defecation, then stools appear mixed with blood. Symptoms often develop with prolonged constipation, when a person has to strain hard, and dry, hard feces injure the intestinal mucosa. The formation of an anal fissure is possible in women after childbirth.
Red streaks in stools are a characteristic symptom of dysentery (shigellosis). Bacterial toxins lead to damage to the intestinal walls, from which blood is excreted. At the beginning of the disease, the stool is liquid, has a fecal character with separate bloody inclusions. In severe cases, the number of bowel movements increases to 10-12 times a day, stools are scanty in the form of mucus mixed with blood. Patients complain of severe abdominal cramps, especially in the left sections.
Abundant red stools sometimes occur at 3-4 weeks with a typical course of typhoid fever, which is associated with bleeding from a deep typhoid ulcer. Liquid mucous stools with a lot of blood in the type of "raspberry jelly" is a pathognomonic sign of amoebiasis. In addition to the reddish color of feces, severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting are disturbing. With such symptoms, emergency medical care is indicated.
In Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, deep ulcerative defects are formed that bleed. Red stool is more characteristic of UC because it causes damage to the distal intestine. Against the background of painful imperative urge to defecate, there is a release of scanty feces with impurities of scarlet blood. Exacerbations are provoked by such causes as stress, errors in diet, concomitant intestinal infections.
Occasionally, a reddish color of stools is observed in colonic polyps and other benign tumors, which eventually become covered with ulcers due to constant traumatization with hard feces. The red color of the feces is more common in cancerous tumors of the intestine, because they ulcerate faster and disintegrate with the involvement of blood vessels in the process. Disturbed by dull pains in the abdominal cavity, prolonged constipation, progressive weight loss.
Most often, staining of feces occurs with prolonged treatment with the anti-tuberculosis drug rifampicin. It has a red color and, when ingested, turns into metabolites, which are excreted in different ways. Therefore, not only feces acquire a reddish color, but also urine, lacrimal fluid, and sweat. Atypical staining of feces is sometimes possible with long-term use of high doses of vitamin A, which contains carotene pigments.
If red feces is combined with complaints of pain and dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, the patient should consult a gastroenterologist. Diagnostic search involves a comprehensive examination of the digestive system using laboratory and instrumental methods. The most informative are:
Discharge of feces of an atypical color, which is caused by excessive consumption of red foods and proceeds against the background of good health, does not require therapeutic measures. If the symptom is observed simultaneously with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, you need to see a doctor to find out why the red stool occurred. Intestinal bleeding requires emergency medical attention.
Medical tactics depend on the cause of staining of feces in red. In case of intestinal infections, along with medications, therapeutic fasting or a sparing diet with strict restrictions is indicated; oral rehydration is recommended to correct water-salt metabolism. The purpose of drugs is aimed at eliminating the underlying pathology that caused red feces. Most often used:
With hemorrhoids, such types of surgical interventions as ligation of nodes with elastic rings, sclerotherapy, and radical removal of the main internal nodes are widely used. In severe recurrent inflammatory diseases of the colon, removal of the affected part of the intestine with the formation of an anastomosis is indicated to prevent bleeding and perforation. For colon cancer, a hemicolectomy or total colectomy is performed.