Having red sticks in stools refers to any red debris or sticks like reddish bodies that are present in the stool. Despite the fact that it doesn’t cause any serious issues, it can be a sign of severe illness.
Besides all the facts, a question arises in our mind:
What causes the appearance of red sticks in poop?
Red sticks in poop may be due to some undigested pigmented food that is excreted out along the stools. It may be some kind of worm that is either ingested or maybe some intestinal worms that are excreted through the anus. Furthermore, it can be a blood clot that releases from the large intestine due to intestinal infection.
If you want to know all about the red sticks in poop, then keep reading this article.
Table of Content
Why Do Red Sticks Appear in Poop?
Many reasons can result in the appearance of red sticks in poop. It may be due to:
Hemorrhoids (Piles)
Hemorrhoid, means swelling of veins around the end part of the rectum and around the anus, causing the inflammation of these parts. This condition commonly results in bleeding through the poop.
Causes
This condition occurs mostly due to:
- Constipation (if prolonged and severe)
- Pressurized bowel movements
- Some complications like blood pressure during pregnancy can be reasons for hemorrhoids
- Being overweight may also be a reason for hemorrhoids.
But a question arises: how hemorrhoids can cause bleeding?
During chronic hemorrhoids, pressure is exerted on the area of the lower large intestine, causing the blood vessels of that area to swell. These swollen blood vessels cause itching and can be ruptured, resulting in bleeding in poops.
If somebody has prolonged toilet sitting time, there is a chance of getting him hemorrhoid(piles).
Symptoms
Symptoms of hemorrhoids include:
- Bleeding in stools
- Itching on anus
- Soreness during bowel movement
- Swelling and lump formation in the anus
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Treatment
The hemorrhoids can be treated by:
- Taking a bath with warm water or soaking anus in a tub containing warm water.
- Usage of ointments
- Intake of high fiber foods.
- Using drugs (pain relievers) like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin, but can be used for temporary relief only.
- Using some kind of numbing pad.
- Many surgeries can be performed. As one example, stapled hemorrhoidopexy involves stapling the final section of the large bowel, causing the hemorrhoids to gradually reduce as less blood flows to them. Another surgery is hemorrhoidectomy, in which the tissues causing the bleeding are removed by using anesthesia.
Prevention
- Take food that contains more fibers, such as fruits and vegetables like beans and carrots.
- Avoid usage of hard foods like pomegranates and corns.
- Take plenty of fluids including water
- Controlling the weight of the body
- Reducing the time of sitting in the washroom.
- Try not to exert pressure on the anus during bowel movements
- Treat constipation as soon as possible.
Worms in Stools
The red sticks in stools may be intestinal worms that are excreted out of the body through feces. Many worms live in the intestine of a human. These are the parasites that consume some food from the intestine and can be excreted out of the body due to some complications.
A variety of roundworms, like Ascaris, live in the gut of the human. Some of them appear as reddish-brown colored worms in stools when excreted out of the body.
Causes
Worms appear in stools due to:
- Ingestion of food infected with worms
- Unhygienic living conditions
- Drinking worm infected water (water from open areas like rivers and lakes)
Symptoms
Its symptoms may include:
Treatment
It can be treated by using antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Prevention
It can be prevented by taking proper care of hygienic conditions.
Dysentery
A gastrointestinal disorder that causes severe bloody diarrhea (it is an infectious disorder caused by bacteria, virus or maybe due to any other kind of parasite and results in two or more loose motions per day) can also be a reason for the appearance of red sticks (that are actually blood clots) in poops.
Cause
It is caused by poor sanitary and bad hygienic conditions. Bacteria, viruses, and any other parasites can enter the body through a number of routes including the oral cavity route, or may enter through infectious syringes and hair cutting blades.
For example, if we eat food infected with bacteria like improperly cooked eggs and meat, there are many chances to get dysentery.
Symptoms
The symptoms of dysentery include:
- Loose motions (watery bowel movements)
- Frequent bowel movements
- Fever
- Intestinal inflammation
- Vomiting and nausea
- Weight loss
- Constipation
- Discomfort while defecation
- Dehydration
- Smooth muscle cramps
Treatment
Dysentery can be treated on the basis of the infection which causes it. If it is caused by a bacterial infection then, it can be treated by using antibiotics. If it occurs due to infection by amoeba, then amoebicides can be used.
Preventions
The prevention of dysentery involves:
- Maintaining proper hygienic conditions
- Wash all types of food including fruits, vegetables, and meat before use
- Cook food properly before eat
- Keep your hands always clean by using soaps
- Drink plenty of fluids
Gastrointestinal Bleeding
GIT bleeding can also result in the appearance of blood clots in stools. Bleeding in the lower parts of the gastrointestinal tract, in the small and large intestine, can be appeared through blood clots in stools. Mostly, inflammation of the anus and rectum causes bleeding. Further, colorectal cancer can also be a cause of bleeding.
Causes
GIT bleeding is mostly caused by:
- Bacterial or viral infections at the large intestine
- Colorectal cancer
- Inflammation at any part of GIT
- Anal fissure
Symptoms
- Vomiting
- Blood in the poop
- Nausea
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Irregular bowel movements
- Lower abdomen pain, including muscle cramps
- Diarrhea
Treatment
A number of medications can be taken to cure GIT bleeding, as it can be caused by a number of reasons.
If bleeding occurs due to infection, or inflammation, then antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs can be taken. If GIT bleeding is due to colon and rectum cancer, then chemotherapy can be done in order to destroy the cancerous cells.
In addition to these therapies, radiation therapies (therapy in which high energy radiations are bombarded on cancerous cells) can be done.
Anal Fissure
This condition causes pain and bleeding with bowel movements due to small rupturing in the lining of the anus. This condition results in blood clots in stools during bowel movements, and it looks like red sticks.
It usually occurs due to prolonged and severe constipation. Complications during childbirth can also result in an anal fissure, causing bleeding.
Causes
Anal fissure may be due to:
- Severe constipation
- Prolonged and pressurized bowel movements
- Passage of hard stools through anus regularly
- Colorectal cancer
- Prolonged and severe diarrhea
- Dysentery
Symptoms
Its symptoms often involve severe pain in the anal area during bowel movements and the appearance of bright-colored blood in feces.
Treatment
An anal fissure can be healed within two or more weeks by taking proper self-care. Taking food containing more fibers and avoiding hard foods like corn helps a lot in the healing of anal fissures.
Further, if diarrhea is treated properly, only then can you heal anal fissures.
Undigested Red Food
Many foods contain fiber in them. Most of the fibers remain undigested in our body and are excreted out of the body after passing through the gastrointestinal tract. If we eat too much red-colored food like carrots, tomatoes and red beets etc., then their red fibers will excrete out of the intestine undigested and appear as reddish bodies in stools.
Treatment
As such, there is no need for any kind of medication. This reason is just temporary and can be cured when you stop eating these kinds of foods.
When to See a Doctor?
As discussed earlier, red sticks in poops can be due to many reasons. If you noticed some kind of complications including pains and all other symptoms discussed above for three or more days, then you need to get a checkup from a doctor.
But if you noticed red sticks once or twice and no pain in the lower abdomen, then there is no need to go to a doctor.
FAQs
Is red sticks in poop a serious issue?
Answer: Normally, it does not cause any serious issues. It may be due to some kind of infection and inflammation that can be treated easily. But it can be an indication of some serious problems like colorectal cancers.
How long does it take to recover from red sticks in poop condition?
Answer: It usually depends on the reason causing it. If it is just due to diarrhea and some kind of inflammation of the anus, you can recover within a month, but if the condition is an indication of some sort of serious problem like cancer and bleeding in the large intestine, it may take much longer time.
How taking hard food can make an anal fissure worse?
Answer: As mentioned above, an anal fissure is a rupturing of a small portion of the outer anus. When we eat hard food like corn regularly, it results in the formation of hard stools that, while passing through the anus, cause serious pain and complications. So, it is normally recommended to eat soft food while you are facing the issue of anal fissure.
Can the red sticks in the poops be some kind of worm?
Answer: A variety of worms (parasitic worms) live in our body, mainly in our intestine. Roundworms that entered our body through a number of routes can be excreted out of the body through feces after passing through the large intestine and appear as red sticks in stools.
Conclusion
Several factors can cause red sticks in poop. Red sticks in stools can be caused by food coloring, or it can be an indication of a more serious condition like colorectal cancer. Constipation and diarrhea are the main reasons that eventually end in bleeding through the anus, only if they are kept untreated for a prolonged time. Antibiotics and antimicrobial drugs are mainly prescribed as medication.
