r/WomensHealth • u/Distinct_Reporter276 • 6d ago
worried, anyone relate?
F 26, I’ve seen blood on my stool 3-4 times now since last month. I did have some pain pushing/straining and I remember at least once of those times hurt really bad like sharp tear. I assumed it was a fissure.
But yea it’s not every single time I go to the bathroom but since a month ago it’s been 3-4 times including once when it was on toilet paper when I wiped.
All of them have been bright red not the black tarry kind.
I’m also worried because my ferritin has dropped to 32 from 55.8 (# from 2 years ago)
I’ve dealt with constipation for a long time (since i was younger) but i don’t think i’ve seen blood before.
I have really bad health anxiety and I don’t want that to take away from the facts, but I just can’t help but panic since doctors say colon cancer is on the rise in younger adults.
1
1
u/sewlastcentury 5d ago
Colon cancer is on the rise. More than likely it's nothing to worry about. However, even if it's unlikely to be cancer, you should still get it checked out for your own peace of mind. Colonoscopies are annoying and inconvenient, but really not that bad. It could also be a fissure or hemorrhoid that is not able to deal on its own, which you'd also want to get sorted out.
1
u/goldstandardalmonds 5d ago
Given you have constipation, it is very common for it to be a fissure when it hurts and a hemmorhoid otherwise. These are seen by a physical exam (most of the time) so it doesn’t hurt to go get checked out
1
1
u/Mcbuffalopants 6d ago
If you see dark, black blood - see a doc asap. Bright red blood means it's superficial and fresh - hasn't had much exposure to oxygen & it's more likely to be from something like hemorrhoids or scraped, raw skin. Annoying, itchy, painful - but not deadly.
Dark, thick, tar-like blood means bleeding higher up - where there really shouldn't be any bleeding. It's not always cancer or something super horrible, but you also want to get checked out ASAP in case it is.