Rectal bleeding is common but should never be ignored, particularly when accompanied by abdominal pain, anemia, weight loss, or changes in bowel habits. Bleeding may appear as bright red blood on the stool or toilet paper, darker blood mixed within the stool, or maroon and black stools depending on where bleeding originates within the digestive tract.

Although hemorrhoids are a frequent cause, bleeding may also result from inflammation, polyps, diverticular disease, fissures, or colorectal cancer. Colonoscopy and other endoscopic evaluations are often used to identify the source and determine whether treatment or ongoing surveillance is needed.