Help! I saw blood on the toilet paper after I wiped – what should I do!?

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Q: Help! I saw bright red blood on the toilet paper after I wiped.  What should I do!? 

Short A: Come in to see us so we can check it out.

Long A: Don’t panic. We see this all the time at Student Health and it’s rarely as scary as it looks.  You’re probably dealing with a hemorrhoid: a very common, and literal, pain in the butt. 

Hemorrhoids are abnormally swollen veins in the rectum or anus that bleed with minor pressure, such as that which occurs from bowel movements.  They can be painful or painless depending on their location, and are often associated with rectal pain and itching, a lump that you can feel and/or rectal bleeding. 

Risk factors for developing hemorrhoids include

  • Poor fiber intake
  • Prolonged sitting or standing
  • Being overweight
  • Pregnancy
  • Chronic constipation or diarrhea
  • Engaging in anal sex

When you come to the Student Health Center, we will ask you a lot of embarrassing questions and do an embarrassing examination to rule out other more serious causes of rectal bleeding such as infections, inflammatory bowel disease, anal fissures and even (rarely) colon cancer.  Since some hemorrhoids are located a few inches inside the rectal canal, we may have to use a small, lubricated, clear plastic tube called an anoscope to look on the inside.

The mainstay of hemorrhoid treatment (and prevention) is fiber, fiber, fiber.  Most of us don’t get enough fiber in our diet, which leads to constipation, which leads to straining to have a bowel movement, which leads to increased pressure in the rectal veins which… you get the idea.  Supplementing your diet with soluble fiber supplements (Metamucil or Benefiber) will work wonders for this problem.  Other things you can do include:

  • Avoid straining and prolonged sitting on the toilet
  • Lose weight if necessary
  • Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day
  • Exercise regularly
  • Gently clean the anal area with soft, moistened paper after each bowel movement and avoid the urge to scratch – as an old family doctor once told me: “Wipe, don’t polish!”

Again, while it can certainly be scary, rectal bleeding is rarely a sign of a life-threatening condition.  But if it happens to you, be sure to see your health care provider to make sure it isn’t, especially if the bleeding is dark brown or black, is heavy, you feel weak or light-headed, or the pain gets suddenly a lot worse.

 

John A. Vaughn, MD
Student Health Services
The Ohio State University

436 thoughts on “Help! I saw blood on the toilet paper after I wiped – what should I do!?

  1. I’m 11 years old and i had dark blood on my underwear and when i wiped there was blood. this happened for about 5-7 days and then stopped. just in case it was my period i marked the 25th, which is when it started. it has been about 2 months and nothing happened. is it my period or something else?

    • When you are first getting your period, it may not be regular. Some females have their periods monthly and others less regularly.

  2. Ok so I’m 11 and averedge size and weight I wiped and there was darkish red blood on the paper and so I excused it for a period but there was absolute NO signs I was going to have one and the blood kept on coming so it’s been constantly letting out blood on my undergarments! What do I do!? And I REALLY have doubts that it’s a period.

  3. Hi, I’m 15 and i weigh 115, i noticed that when i wipe i have blood but i wipe again and there isn’t any, and it only happens at random times, there isn’t any in my stool and i’ve been having bad back pains and cramps but my period ended almost two weeks ago

  4. For the past two months everytime i have a bowel movement its blood on my tissue an blood in my stool but i dont have insurance and the first time i seen it was about a year ago. What can i do? Please help im scared now.

  5. I’m 12 years old and when I pee it’s completely clear but when I wipe the toilet paper is covered in a brownish red substance

  6. Hi this is embarrassing, I’m gay and put a tube of lipstick in my rectum. It got stuck there and when I shat it out I noticed blood. I don’t wanna come out to my dad but idk what to do, please help

  7. I dont know what’s going on but yesterday when I went pee there was a lot of pain and then when I wiped my butt there was some blood. I think it might be an uti or maybe a hemorrhoid. I’m not really sure though.

  8. I;M ON BLOOD THINNER I.M 70 YEARS AND WHEN I PEE AND WIPE WHERE IS BLOOD ON THE PAPER ,NOT MUCH BUT EVERY DAY.

  9. I’ve had this happen to me before and I was freaking out but with in a week it got better and went away. It’s just in a matter of time and patience. But do keep track of what colour your blood is otherwise if not you may not be able to tell if it is bad or not.

  10. But when I had this happen to me I didn’t have any pain, but when you do have this happen to you always tell some one you trust. I was so nervous but then I told my mum and she understood she said you should be okay and if not we’ll take you to the doctors.

    I’m 13yrs old, don’t be ashamed or nervous to tell your mum šŸ™‚

  11. i have been hurting on the lower part of my left side….seem like where my overis was or is, and it’s been going on for say 3 months, or more…it hurt when i arise from a sitting position or lying position, but when I made a step or two…it’s almost goes away….I seem to have the urge to have a BM more frequently as before….when I go, there’s a lot of gas and I may expel some fetus but not a lot and there’s bright red blood on the tissue usually and some in the stool I see. What does that sound like L
    Thank for your attention
    j.bittle

  12. I’m 12 and started my period this would be my second starting my period I saw something dark brown or red on my underwher and when I went to wipe my private there was a very light red is this my period when I first started my period it was August 22

  13. Im 13 years old 5’7 and weight 133. pounds and last night i wiped my butt 2 times the first time nothing happened the second time blood came out. i don’t feel any pain but just some itching right now. why did this happen. i’m a boy not a girl

  14. The itching is gone but i forgot to add that last night i didn’t have any poo i just wiped beacuse i felt like i didn’t wipe good enough and still had some poo on my anal.but i did not have any poo left on my anal and then the blood came out.

  15. So I slipped and fell down a hill a few days ago and now whenever I wipe bright red blood appears on my toilet paper what do I do help I’m to scared to ask for help or a doctor’s help

  16. I was just wondering and freaking out..what if i finished my period like 5 days ago and when i do poo the pee comes out like pink but i dont eat veggies?is it something bad?is it normal?

  17. I’m 13 and I’m a girl and a couple months ago I wiped and noticed just a little bit of blood, so I wiped a few more times and it was just like tiny tiny spots on the toilet paper, bright red. It doesn’t hurt, once in a while it itches but barely. I’m not sure what to think. I assure it’s not from sex or pregnancy. Hemmhoroid I’m hoping? It doesn’t seem like a big deal but i want to make sure..

  18. I am 12 and I have red blood come when I wipe but only the first or second time I wipe but I does not come in my underwear did I get my period or what

  19. Currious too? Bloody Squirts
    I had a severely red stool where there was a blood splatter on the toilet. I’m super fit and healthy, 23. One time case here two days ago. I figured it happened lifting but I never felt pain. No bleeding now. Scary though to think about. Any optimistic thoughts on what caused it and if I should worry..
    yours truly,
    Bloody Squirts

  20. Heloo i am 22
    Whener i walk along distance or walk for along time when i come back to the toilet i find sports of boold in my pant .Also after i urinate when i wipe out with a tissue i find blood in the tissue am scared and far away from home were i cant get tretment easily i meed help if there are any siggestion please

  21. I’m 50 I have to pee every 5 mins and there is blood on the toilet paper on underwear too and my back its hurt to pee too I’m sweating a lot during bed time too

  22. Iā€™m 12 not over weight (skinny ) about 102 pounds about to be 13 and I wiped my butt ( and there was a little blood my period is not for 2weeks

  23. i was bleeding earlier but it stopped and it didn’t hurt or anything and i haven’t been feeling weak or any of the other however i sit a lot so do i need to do something?

  24. I’m 18 year old and I’ve been going toilet every now and then and every time I wipe there’s always blood or I’ll even try to pee out more or even try to take a number 2 and there’s always blood coming out well I pee or even wipe after I go toilet and I’ve been asking my sister’s about it and they’ve been saying I’m on my period but I’m not cause I’ve already finished like three weeks ago and this is been happening like two weeks straight now and I’ve been sore down there every time I try to force my pee or take a number 2 but I don’t know what to do!!

  25. Hi, I’m 10 and I went to go pee and when I wiped I saw a light red blood. I wipedon’t again and it was still there. A few hours later I went to do it again and the blood faded lighter. Please help in don’t know what’s wrong

    • I am assuming that you are a young lady. It is possible that this is the beginning of your period. Talk to someone which whom you are comfortable having such a discussion such as your mom, aunt, sister, cousin, friend. They can then help you determine if it is your period or perhaps something more serious.

  26. I’m an 11 year old girl , when I poop, my poop is normal colour, however, when I wipe there’s blood. Yesterday I didn’t think much of it, but today it’s still happening.

  27. Iā€™m 10 and I was at the cinema and I went for a poo whilst rushing and then I went for another one later and I wiped and there was a tiny bit of blood not leaking or anything nor in my nickers and I wiped another time and there was another tiny bit of blood , I had recently been getting cramps and back ache and it is not my period because it has been 2 weeks since my last one and Iā€™m usually off for 4 weeks please help ????

    • I am still guessing this might be your period. I understand that typically you are regular, but sometimes our systems just get out of whack and our periods come either too early or too late. Monitor the situation and if it continues to persist, and is not your period, then talk to an adult. It may be time to see a doctor.

  28. Hey m having blood in my poop nd also bleeding from anal when i urinate…… Is it a serious issue….. Plzz help me with this

    • I recommend that you schedule an appointment with your doctor. Better to have things checked out and find out it’s nothing then to not get them checked out and later discover it was serious.

  29. So reccentley i have been sick and i went to the hospital. But today i pooped and as i wiped their was red blood . And im scared i also dont know if i have my menstration because i did stain my underwear and it was bright red but its been 24hrs and my menstartion is light red with very little blood ! And im scared i dont know if i am pregnant or its just because im sick ! Or because i am overweight can that be why ? I am 14 weighing 230 lbs

  30. Hi, I am 13 and havenā€™t had my period yet. Today I have had diarrhea and later I had blood on the toilet paper. I was a lot of blood but part of it was like bogory supstance. I talked to my mom about it and she said it is probably just my period. I think itā€™s something else but I donā€™t know what to do?

    • Has the blood continues. I know it’s kind of weird and a definitely embarrassing, but if it continues, show it to your mom. You always hear of periods as bleeding and blood, but it’s not the same blood you see when you cut your finger. It could very well be your period, or it could be something else entirely. If you show it to your mom she will know.

  31. I’m 19 and pregnant and I’m throwing up blood alot of blood and it’s scaring me a little cuz I’m 4 months pregnant and I’m worried bout my baby?HELP PLEASE

  32. Hey everyone.
    I’ve been scrolling down the comment section and every comment I see is asking for help, and Tina, the blog poster, has attempted to answer a few of them, but there are hundreds.
    Please, do yourself a favor, ask a doctor instead of asking here.
    Also, I know it is embarrassing but it can be a great help if you asked your parents or another family member that you feel better with to help you get you to a doctor.
    If you can’t afford a doctor, then it is better to do some extensive google research ratger than asking randomly around in comment sections. You are not the first person to encounter this type of problem, so the problem has already been documented & therefore the help is out there, you need only seek help the right places, good luck.

  33. Iā€™m 11 years old and I got my first period 2 months ago, I got it last month and I am on it right now. It is my 4th day and when I wipe there is blood but there is nothing on the pad. Iā€™m sure I shouldnā€™t be worried but I am. What is this and when is it going to stop?

  34. FROM LAST TWO DAY THE BLOOD IS COME WITH THE WASTE MATERIAL IF IT VERY SERIAS CONDITION FOR ME THAN WHAT CAN I DO

  35. Iā€™m 13, 5ā€™0, and 100 lbs. I havenā€™t started my period yet, but after I peed I noticed blood coming out after I wipe. Thereā€™s sort of a lot of blood but not a LOT of blood when I wiped, if that makes any sense. But the thing is, is that there was barley any blood when i peed, like 2 drops. Iā€™m pretty concerned about it, and I was planning on telling my mom soon. Is this something I should be concerned about?

  36. hey… I am 16 yrs old..day before yesterday on 14 march 2018 during pooping there was a few drops of blood …it happened next day also..it was not about periods….i did not tell anybody in home because it is very embarrassing for me…I m getting very worried about it…
    PLZZZ GIVE ME SOME SOLUTION THAT HOW I CAN SOLVE THIS PROBLEM!!!!
    is it a very serious issue…i am so scared

  37. I’m really nervous i may be pregnant but I’m not sure. I’ve shown all the signs and my period is a week late, it’s never been late. But when I woke up this morning I was bleeding so I was like ok I’m ok. When I wiped though it was like pink but in my underwear it was dark red. Then I felt a huge urge to throw up
    I have cramps and a pretty heavy flow but I’m not sure

  38. Hi I’m 17 and I saw dark red blood when I wipe my butt and its my first time that I see blood while pooping and I’m FREAKING OUT! Should I be having a matter of death and life here ??? Please help me!!! šŸ™ šŸ™

  39. Im scared i wiped and saw a dark red kind of color but I havent started my period at all Im 13 and i dont know what to do or if its my first period or not.

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