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
Hi! I am 12 years old, I weigh around 130 and I’m atleast 5’3. In the night of October 23 I’ve experienced blood on my underwear. But this has happened before. Some will say it’s my period but It has not happened once a month. Since my last blood spot it has been about 2-4 months. I’m afraid to tell my mom or talk to the doctor about. Is there something at home I could do about this? Please help??
While the rule of thumb is that you period comes once a month, that is not the case for everyone and definitely when you are first starting out you may not have your period on a regular basis. If you are not comfortable talking to you mom – perhaps there is a trusted friend, aunt, cousin, someone else you can talk with.
im 12 too but i saw blood when i wiped after using number 2, im also scared to talk to my doctor about it, and i want to know how to take care of it at home 🙁 T-T
Same I’m twelve and I’m definitely not on my period and I saw blood after I wiped
I’m scared to tell anybody cause it’ embrassing 🙁 I want something as well to do at home that knowone will know
I would talk to someone you trust about this, but like Tina said sometimes it’s not a regular basis thing every girl is different and has them different when I first got it I would get it a month skip a month and get it again sometimes I’d skipped three months Nd get it but I would recommend that talking to someone you trust because sometimes it could be bad.
I’m 24 I have used a sex toy via anal , it was painless but covered in blood. Red thick chunky blood no pain. That was a week ago or so. I have regular bowel movements. Every couple or so not every day , I wipe there is a small amount of light red blood not in stool or toilet just on tp. Ther is no pain and not blood every bm I also sit on the toilet and read for extended periods of time. I work out drink tons of water everyday I log miles every day I am very healthy and fit . I am considering going to ER I have no insurance. So please did I cause this from anal play or do I have a serious issue???
Hi, I am not sure if i have a hemorrhoid, but I am not overweight, I sometimes experience a very small amount of blood on the toilet paper whenever I wipe. Also, it has been very itchy. Please let me know if I do, in fact, have a hemorrhoid.
Sounds like a hemmoroid which can be internal as well as on the outside,bright red or light colored blood is usually not a big deal but dark dark or black blood needs to be checked by a professional.
Hi I’m a 19 year old soon to be 20 I have been experiencing spotting of blood on and off for a few months constant from my bottom when I go to the toilet for a poo some times its there when I fart too most of the time it’s spotting and just comes up on the tissue but just lately I have seen it on my poo as well I also feel sick constantly but the doctor doesn’t know why…..
this sounds gross but it’s really not my doctor told me to wear a clear glove and feel my bum for any lumps cuts or swelling I didn’t find any I then was advised to put a medium finger on the inner ring and check there I didn’t find anything should I go to the doctors or not? Can any body help
HELP! I just discover yesterday that after I poop theres a little bit blood on the tissue paper… I thought it is nothing but, i SAW blood on the tissue paper again today after I poop? I’m not overweight; not pregnant and I’m sure it’s not my period!
I’m scared to tell my parents?
Thats what happens to me too, im a twelve year old girl
I was wondering if it’s dark do u mean while it’s wet or when it’s dry I’m 12 and about 130lbs what should i do i dont like to tell anyone anything even my mum or dad :'(
Since yesterday its bleeding severely …. I m not able to understand it …. My stomach is paining…. I don’t know which doctor I should consult for my problem
I m 42yrs old, its not just blood spots ….. Its bleeding very badly….
Contact your primary care doctor. They can then direct you if they believe you should see someone else.
I’m a male, 6’1 feet tall, 148 lbs, drink a lot of water, I eat a lot of fiber and I noticed that there was blood on my tp but no pain and I only seen Like one dropped splashed in the bowl but it took only two wipes to clean. I’m also 16. What should I do?
That happened to me too and I’m 12
I’m 12 years old and when I sometimes go #2 when I wipe I see blood sometimes it’s mild sometimes it’s a whole swipe of blood sometimes it hurts to poop but sometimes It doesn’t I don’t want to tell my parents or the doctor but I’ve thought about it being my period and when I wipe it only comes from where I go #2 also I have small boobs and no armpit hair so I don’t thing I have my period but someone help PLEASE!
I’m 19 ivery been having pain in my stomach for about 4 days now when I go to wipe myself after pee I see blood but when I wipe again it’s gone I had sex and I also bleed but only a little . What can this mean?
Hi, I’m 13 and weigh 70 kg and I’m 5″11 and for about two weeks there’s been blood in my poop like a lot!!!! And it bleeds onto my underpants also when I wipe there’s thick chunky blood that’s really dark. I also have lost my appetite, always getting dissy spells and have a sore tummy. I know it’s not my period because ive had it a lot and I know I’m not on it! My grandma died from bowel cancer and my dad has had it. My other relatives (the older ones) have had cancer, I just want to know if I should tell my mum.
Tell your mum.
im 13 and ive been experiencing blood when i wipe after i poo, i know its not my period, i am slightly overweight and probably dont get enough fiber, im to scared to tell my parents and i dont know what to do, is it a hemorrhoid. please help me.
I am 20 yrs old. 230lbs and 5 ft 10 in tall. I am overweight and the last few days I have noticed that after I poop I wipe and there is blood. My poop isn’t red like I’m pooping blood but I am scared nonetheless. After about 2 wipes the blood is completely gone. Please help! and I am male so its not a period.
this is kind of embarrassing but please help!
i’m a 14 year old girl and sometimes when i wipe there’s blood? it’s usually so light it’s almost pink and it’s a tiny amount but it’s still scary and it’s definitely coming from my bum. i think it’s being caused by me scratching?? what could be causing it to itch so much that i would scratch until it bleeds??
Hello everyone as you can see i am 27 weeks and 5 days pregnant. Today i woke up with an itchy bumb when i went to do doodoo i saw blood on the toilet papper. When i sit down or sneeze it hurts a lot. I checked nd my behind was red itchy but again whem i wiped i saw blood should i worry. Is there somethings wrong with my son. Im scared.
Some one plz help me so I went to pee and I cleaned afterwards and there was a tiny bit of blood and I’m scared I told my mom what should I do is it Normal and I’m 12 yrs old
You started your period, DONT WORRY I started yesterday and I’m 12. Just tell your mom what happened. If there is blood in your underwear also its your period.
Hi I am 39 years old man turning 40 in May 17, I have been noticing blood after I wipe please help me
I’m not overweight, female, 15 years old and I’ve been experiencing this for quite a long time (years) and because I was never in any pain, I decided it wasn’t anything to worry about. But today there was a lot of bleeding that, when I looked into the toilet, it appeared as though I had my period, but it really wasn’t. Is this anything to be worried about??
I know this sounds disgusting, but the next time it happens have someone come take a look so they can give you an opinion (you can always take a picture). It may be time to schedule an appointment with the doctor.
That’s the thing I didnt go poop I have had a hemorrhoid for almost 2 weeks and when I go to the bathroom it hurts bad but I went to the bathroom just to pee and when I wiped there was bright red blood on toilet paper from the hemorroid. bleeding is that normal even though I wasn’t straning to go pee and there was blood in the toilet as well please someone help me cuz it is scary
I’m a 68 years old female. I smoke and I drink at least 3 glasses of wine every night. I take a lot of aspirin for back pain….nothing else but aspirin seems to ease the pain.
My brother died from colon cancer when he was 30 years old. I had a colonoscopy years ago which turned out negative.
For about a year now, I have been feeling a bulging in my bottom. It does not hurt, just feels like there is something there. Now, for the past week, when I wipe after a bowel movement I see bright red blood on the toilet paper…not a lot and not always…should I be concerned? I feel fine otherwise.
Hi guys i am a guy aged 21 now, i have seen this in 2015 around september and now it is 2017 and i saw it twice,in January and in feb and this time in feb i saw blood in the toilet and also in the tissue and they was more than before. Can u guys help im not a gay and i have never done anal sex. What could be the cause?
I am 35years old man, my anus use to come out after stood or anytime am walking, please tell me what to do coz am really worried?
I am sidra i want to ask you that on my first sex i had a pain but i dnt know when i started bleeding i saw after some time when we end our sex. it ws for some time i felt spots for 15 min i saw at that tym we ended our sex my fiance said ur hymen was not intact and i didnot felt any resistance
On 2 day we had again i bleed again but less.
Kindly guide me what is it as i ws virgin it was my first sex
M not getting why he said for resistance what bleeding was that.
My sister is having huge problems. She’s even starting to lose control and cry and hit her head. She’s shaky and scared. She is only 8 years old. Sometimes blood is dark brown and heavy. Other times,the exact opposite. Been going on for a month. She is having mood swings and stomachaches. I feel so bad for her!
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My sister hit her own head, along with,even,mild GI problems. I do know this, (1) She was depressed at that time., (2) genetic, (3) had a lot to do with frustration, (4) had a very big issue to work out ( at twelve , ran into electrical wire, hospitalized long time), but, I found it VERY odd, (for lack of better wording) that she started hitting her head, so I am replying, maybe they have something in common. I think Sis developed GI problems from severe stress at such a young age, nonetheless, stress. I have GI problems of my own, and yes,stress.but not that degree, or such a young age and I do not hit my head. My son sees GI doc and his problem, per Doc, is “Worst than most” Liquid diet for nearly year. As you and I know. hitting your own head is not normal, by any means. HOPE IT HELPS IN SOME WAY. Good luck. If it concerns you enough to ask about this, you love your sister/ Again, good luck to the both of you.Sincerely. Oh yeah. my own problem is back and the only symptom I lack is hitting head. Go figure! God Bless you and yours,
Hey i’m 24 years nd since yesterday i noticed so much blood on the toilet paper after wiping bt i dnt feel any pain…i know i might be overwheight but i’ve been this size since i was born and it gets me woried coz i’m not the type to visit a doctor it frustrates me
Please help me, I have no problems and no disease,but yesterday some drop of blood was coming out after bowel movement,It was totally painless,I feel good like other days,when I saw this I scared,After 10 hours I am good and I feel very comfortable.But I scare very much.
Is anybody there ? Please help me to recognize my disease.
I was up all night with a stomachache going number two I noticed this morning that when I went to the bathroom there is some mucousy blood and when I wiped it was a slight pinkish blood color and 27 years old 126 lbs I have no health insurance I don’t know what to do
I’m 16 and have blood in my tp, what should I do? It’s been going on for some time now but I’ve just been shrugging it off
I gave birth on January 9th and everything was fine until the 3rd week I was home. I had never experienced anything painful, it literally felt like I was passing glass. When i took a look into the toilet i almost passed out when I saw how much blood there was. It wasn’t until I saw my Dr. and he prescribed me hydrocortisone cream things got much better. I used the cream 4 times a day and used witch hazel pads in every wipe for a month and my hemorrhoids have gotten so much better. I no longer feel pain but I do see a little bleeding.
Hi I have had my usares took out but they left my overes it’s been about 9 years now but I have been bleeding from my back and front when I use the bathroom and my belly is swallowed look’s like I’m pargnet went to the doc she sending me to do more testes I have no idea what could be wrong if anybody have any ideal please help me
I have internal hemoroid but it found it way to the outer part of my Anus. When i went to the Er it ruptured. A brown color came out. The next day I still bleed but not that much but it’s still a light brown color. Should I be worried of the color. Because I thought blood was red. Why is it brown I forgot to ask the doctor that.
Hello. I’m turning 12 this year and I’m not overweight and am actually a little skinny compared to others in my grade. So lately I’ve been finding that after I wipe and on my underwear there’s blood, its red but I haven’t been feeling any pains before it happened. This seems to have been going on for about a week. I’m too embarrassed and it would be awkward if I told my parents about it and I don’t have an older sister to talk about it with. It goes through my underwear and pants at school and I end up leaving a small blood stain if I sit. Is it just my first period or is it me wiping too hard or something? What can I do about? Please help, I don’t want to go to a doctor about it either!!
This is probably just your first period. If it only lasted 3-7 days and you weight somewhere around 100 pounds (this can happen at around 90 pounds, too), then it is definitely just menstruation. You can stop most leaks with pads or tampons. If you don’t have access or are too embarrassed to ask for them, just wad up some tolietpaper to stick in your underwear. 12 is the average age in America to start, you shouldn’t feel bad or embarrassed to tell your parents. It’s normal.
This is probably just your first period. If it only lasted 3-7 days and you weight somewhere around 100 pounds (this can happen at around 90 pounds, too), then it is definitely just menstruation. You can stop most leaks with pads or tampons. If you don’t have access or are too embarrassed to ask for them, just wad up some tolietpaper to stick in your underwear. 12 is the average age in America to start, you shouldn’t feel bad or embarrassed to tell your parents. It’s normal.
Okay, so I am 12 and I say it could be your period. And you can talk to your mom about it because if she has you as a daughter means she has her period, so she knows how embarrasing it is to talk about it. Just, dont tell your dad. Now, telling your dad is waaay more akward because he is a male. But, be aware it could be cancer. ????
Hi can someone please help me? I’m and 18 year old man. I’ve had no problems whatsoever with my bum, but on day I woke up and my anus was hurting pretty bad out of nowhere. There was no bleeding it just hurt. It’s been about a week and it’s bleeding pretty bad now. Every time I wipe there’s lots of blood and I find my self having to go to the bathroom just to wipe the blood away. Can someone please tell me what’s wrong?
I’m to come on my period April 13 but today I went to bathroom and wipe there was pink blood on tissue. I think I’m under a lot of stress
Hi im 16years old and i scratched like 10 cm over the anus and it was a substance like watter coming out i ran to bathroom and checked in i pooped it a little and i saw blood coming out it was like a very small hole where the blood was coming out and i dont know what it is or what to do plz help me ASAP by the wat in particular sitting position i feel pain there plz help me
I did a poo and saw a little red scratch of blood
Hi am male 27 year old i have problems haveing bowel moments but at the same time am bleeding it has about to 2 weeks and am consusorn i am done useing the restroom the first week started with on paper the bleeding then went away and now its everytime i go to the restroom and the thing is that a few months ago i went in to the er for a surgry so there for wat should i do i need some advise
I’m a twelve year old girl who is not on her period. I’m active about 115 pounds and 5’6. I’m to scared to tell my parents and I don’t know what to do. I have been a little stressed with school. My so called friends have been really mean to me so maybe that has to do with it. Can someone please help me.
I’m a 27 yo female… I had my birth control removed 4/10/17 and my friend and I decided to do anal so I wouldn’t risk getting pregnant…. We have done it before with no issues. But this time about 9-10 days later I’m sore and I’ve noticed a good amount of blood when I try to go #2 …. But I’m having a hard time going #2 it hurts and I’ve noticed its uncomfortable to stand or walk for to long without tylonal or ibuprofen…. Ive read my symptoms and it sounds like a hemmroid suggestions?
get it checked out
Please help I’m 11 and when I wiped there was blood on the tissue and in my pants. I’m not sure if it’s my first period or not. I’ll tell my mum but is there anything I could do?
I am not sure what this site really is-I am 70 years old and when I poop I wiped bright red blood the I went and got some hermoid cream and applied and felt kind of a knot-strained allot and stool was kind of large-the bleeding quit immediately -do you think this is allot to be concerned with??
I’m a 14 year old teen and I freaked out when I saw light red blood on my toilet paper after doing a number 2. Idk if I should tell my parents, not until I know it’s seirous. I weigh around 140 and in the past I have stopped eating because I felt that I needed to lose weight, I wanted to know if this could have started the blood? I’m really scared of going to the doctors so I wanted if there is a way to make it stopped with out having to be poked by needles or something like that.
I’m 16 & since Saturday, i been bleeding everytime i wipe it’s not alot of blood & it like hurts/burns when i pee. i was having sexual activity w my boyfriend and he put it in the wrong hole hard…. idk if it’s because of that.. of something is happening to me.
Hi I’m 15 and I have noticed that for quite a while I’ve had an itchy anal area. Every so often blood comes out and I’m not really sure why. I’ve told my parents but they just think some skin peeled off. I’m naturally a paranoid person so when it comes to these things I usually get quite worried. I just want to make sure it’s not something serious, Please help.
Well when I went number 2 and then I wiped I saw blood and then I had bad cramps then I got really tired.In the morning I had it blood so I cleaned it up then at school I had it really bad.What should I do??????
Hello I am 16 and I had anal sex for the first time. I weigh 146 and am 5’5″. I do like girls. And this was the first time I’ve had anal sex with my girlfriend, when I went to the toilet and sat down I peed but when I looked down after wiping I noticed what looked like pink tissue floating in the toilet. And there was very very watered down blood on the tissue. I just feel a dull ache. What do I do? What can I do to avoid this? This did happen today
Ahhh I’m 11 years old and I found a dot of light coloured blood on my toilet paper and my bum is sorta hurting. I already told my mom and she said it’s ok I had it before to and just to put some cream around my bum. Is she right or should I ask to go to the doctor???
Hi there. Today when I went to the toilet, it hurt when I tried pooping, and I thought it was just because I hadn’t really had that much water, even though I have been active today. I then wiped, and there was a little blood on the toilet paper, not a lot, and it was light red. I just had my period last week, and it ended a couple of days ago (and the blood was only when I wiped my bum), so I know it isn’t that. Does anyone have an idea what it is? I’m too embarrassed to tell my family or go to a doctor. My bum has been a little itchy for the last couple of days, but not really today.
I’m a 15 years old boy, when I wipe my butt after pooping there was some blood, like a few drops (Normal blood color),there was also some scatered tiny blood drops in the toilet. it happened 3 times now, about once every 2 days, I usually sit a lot on the floor, and recently before this happened I’d started going to the gym
Hi I am 17 and I am pregnant I don’t know how far along I am just yet til I see my OBGYN next month. I went to wipe and it was a little light red blood on the tissue. I don’t know what that mean because I am not in pain. DO I HAVE SOMETHING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT?