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  |  General Health  |  Diseases and conditions  |  Blood in stools - what does it mean?
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Blood in stools - what does it mean?

by Dr Sarah Brewer

question
I'm worried about my husband. He has noticed blood in his stools, though he says that it is not painful. There is also blood in the water (not just the stools). What could this be?

answer

It is important that he sees his doctor as soon as possible to have this investigated. While blood in the stools and/or urine is not always due to a serious underlying cause (and sometimes nothing abnormal is found) it is very important not to ignore symptoms like this. As blood is present in both the urine and stools, he may have a blood disorder leading to an increased bleeding time or a problem with blood clotting - does he bleed for a longer time when cutting himself shaving, for example? The sooner the cause is investigated and treated, the better. Take him off to see his doctor immediately.

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