{"id":7775,"date":"2024-12-03T12:30:18","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T12:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/blood-in-the-stool-possible-causes-and-symptoms\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T12:20:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T12:20:54","slug":"blut-im-stuhl-haemorrhoiden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/blut-im-stuhl-haemorrhoiden\/","title":{"rendered":"Blood in the stool: possible causes and symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Blood in stool and itching in the anus: Hemorrhoids or something else? A comprehensive guide to clarifying causes, diagnosis, and treatment<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blood in the stool and itching in the anus are symptoms that occur frequently and are often underestimated. Many people suspect <a href=\"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/proctology\/\">hemorrhoids as the primary cause<\/a> \u2013 a widespread disease in the field of proctology. However, these symptoms can also indicate other diseases, from harmless ones like anal fissures to serious ones like bowel cancer or chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This comprehensive article clarifies the most common causes of blood in the stool and itching in the anus, describes modern diagnostic procedures, and presents all treatment options. You will also receive valuable tips on how to prevent discomfort and when a visit to the doctor is essential.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Blood in the stool: possible causes and symptoms<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blood in the stool can indicate various diseases, depending on the color, amount, and accompanying symptoms. From bright red, fresh blood to black, tarry stool, there are many clues that point to the underlying cause.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Hemorrhoids as the most common cause<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hemorrhoids are vascular cushions in the rectum that can swell up and cause discomfort when strained.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Typical symptoms:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bright red blood on the toilet paper, in the stool or the toilet.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often painless, occasionally associated with itching or a feeling of pressure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Causes:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chronic constipation and heavy pushing during bowel movements.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lack of exercise and prolonged sitting.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pregnancy, obesity and a low-fiber diet.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Anal fissures<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A small tear in the sensitive mucous membrane of the anal canal can lead to bleeding.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Symptoms:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bright red blood, often painful.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharp pain during and after bowel movements, accompanied by a burning sensation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Common causes:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chronic constipation or hard stools.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trauma due to improper hygiene or repeated irritation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Colorectal cancer<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bowel cancer is one of the most serious causes of blood in the stool.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Symptoms:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dark blood or mucus in the stool.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Irregular bowel habits, abdominal pain, fatigue and weight loss.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Who is affected?<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People aged 50 and over or with a family history of the disease.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><picture class=\"wp-picture-7545\" style=\"display: contents;\"><source type=\"image\/avif\" srcset=\"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin-jpg.avif 1200w, https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin-250x167-jpg.avif 250w, https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin-1024x683-jpg.avif 1024w, https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin-768x512-jpg.avif 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><img data-dominant-color=\"9c8d79\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #9c8d79;\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignnone wp-image-7545 size-full not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin.jpg\" alt=\"female-gynecologist-examining-patient-on-chair-proctologist-checking-for-blood-in-stool-blood-in-stool  \" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" title=\"\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%271200%27%20height%3D%27800%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%201200%20800%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%271200%27%20height%3D%27800%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin-250x167.jpg 250w, https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/venaziel.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/doctor-providing-examination-of-female-patient-proktologie-zentrum-berlin.jpg 1200w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/picture><\/p>\n<h3><b>Chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crohn&#8217;s disease and ulcerative colitis can lead to bloody diarrhea.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Symptoms:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bloody, slimy diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Long-term: weight loss, anemia and chronic fatigue.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Other causes<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Diverticular bleeding:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Bleeding from small protrusions of the intestinal wall.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Infections:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> E.g. bacterial infections such as Shigella or Campylobacter.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Vascular malformations:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Bleeding due to vascular anomalies in the intestine.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Itching in the anus: causes and differentiation<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Itching in the anus, also called pruritus ani, is a symptom that is often associated with hemorrhoids. But here, too, there are many other possible causes, ranging from harmless to requiring treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Hemorrhoids as a cause<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/proctology\/haemorrhoiden\/\">Hemorrhoids<\/a> can secrete mucus, which irritates the sensitive skin around the anus and causes itching.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Additional complaints:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Foreign body sensation or pressure in the anus.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Irritation due to incomplete bowel movement.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Fungal infections<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fungal infections in the anal area occur frequently, especially in people with a weakened immune system.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Symptoms: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intense itching, redness and occasionally whitish plaques.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Favoring factors: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excessive sweating, tight clothing and antibiotic therapy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Parasites (e.g. pinworms)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Common in children:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Intense nocturnal itching.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Other symptoms:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Abdominal pain and sleep disturbances.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Skin diseases and allergies<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eczema or allergic reactions to care products or toilet paper can irritate sensitive skin.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Other causes:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Anal fistulas:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Connecting ducts between the rectum and skin with inflammatory secretions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Chronic skin diseases:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> E.g. psoriasis or neurodermatitis.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><b>Diagnostics: How are the causes clarified?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Early and thorough diagnosis is crucial in order to determine the exact cause and rule out serious illnesses.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Medical history<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Detailed survey of complaints, eating habits and previous illnesses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clarification of accompanying symptoms such as pain, weight loss or fever.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Research methods<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Rectoscopy and proctoscopy: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examination of the anal canal and lower rectum.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Colonoscopy: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a complete colon examination, especially if <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Colorectal_cancer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">colon cancer<\/a> or IBD is suspected.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Microscopic examinations: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the detection of parasites, fungi or bacterial infections.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Allergy tests: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If allergic reactions or eczema are suspected.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Treatment options: What really helps?<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Treatment of hemorrhoids<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Conservative measures:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High-fiber diet, plenty of fluids, regular exercise.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sitz baths with anti-inflammatory additives.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Drug therapy:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ointments, suppositories and creams with anti-inflammatory active ingredients.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Modern procedures:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Rubber band ligation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Gentle removal by ligation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Laser therapy:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Minimally invasive method for tissue shrinkage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Sclerotherapy:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Sclerotherapy by injections.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Treatment of fungal infections<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Topical antimycotics such as creams or ointments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For severe infections: oral antimycotics.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Treatment for anal fissures<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Acute fissures:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ointments with pain-relieving or muscle-relaxing active ingredients.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Chronic fissures:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Surgical therapy in severe cases.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Treatment of serious illnesses<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Colorectal cancer:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Surgical removal, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>IBD:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppressants or biologics.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Prevention: How to avoid complaints<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>Healthy habits<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Nutrition:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High in fiber, sufficient fluids, little processed food.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Hygiene:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mild cleaning, no excessive hygiene.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Movement:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regular activity promotes intestinal health.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Regular check-ups<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Particularly important from the age of 50 or if you have a family history of the disease.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Blood in the stool and itching in the anus require attention<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blood in the stool and itching in the anus are symptoms that can have many causes. While hemorrhoids are often the cause, other possible diseases should not be disregarded. Early clarification by specialists in proctology, such as at  <\/span><b>VenaZiel Berlin MVZ<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is crucial for effective treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Blood in stool and itching in the anus: Hemorrhoids or<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10285,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-proctology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7775"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48107,"href":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7775\/revisions\/48107"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/venaziel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}