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Dr. Marc Brand shares what a woman should do if she is bleeding from her anal area.
Dr. Brand:
Bleeding from the anal area is not normal, and it needs to be investigated. It may be from something serious, or it may be from something that’s a simple nuisance. So the first thing that you should do is realize that it is not just a hemorrhoid until a physician experienced in evaluating hemorrhoids makes that determination. So you should see a doctor.
Second thing is you should be prepared to describe what you are experiencing very well for that doctor. That includes where the blood is seen, whether it be on the tissue paper with wiping, is it a streak on the stool, is it something that’s in the water or separate from the stool, does it squirt the side of the bowl, does it get into your clothing, or is it something that’s mixed inside the substance of the stool. Those patterns may be able to help the physician to determine the cause for the bleeding.
Pain and discomfort is another description that will be helpful, and the things you want to be able to describe are the character of the pain, whether it’s a sharp, cutting pain, or a pressure discomfort. You want to be able to describe the time course of the pain. Is it there constantly, or is it there only after you’ve had a bowel movement? Does it happen as the stool passes, or does it happen after the stool has passed? How long does the pain last, and what impact does that have on your lifestyle?
About Dr. Marc I. Brand, M.D.:
Dr. Marc I. Brand, M.D., received his Bachelor’s Degree in biomedical engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1986 and graduated from Rush Medical College in 1990. Dr. Brand completed eight years of surgical training at the Cleveland Clinic, including a five-year residency in general surgery, a two-year fellowship in surgical research and a one-year fellowship in colorectal surgery.
Visit Dr. Brand at University Surgeons