Finding blood when wiping your bum

Finding a bit of blood when wiping your bum can be a bit of a shock, and it’s easy to get carried away worrying about bowel cancer, colon cancer or a million other scary body problems. But in reality it’s unlikely to be anything to worry about, and you probably don’t need medical attention. A little bleeding from the bum is more likely to be caused by the friction of toilet paper or over exerting yourself on the loo.

A member of The Mix’s community recently got in touch after finding blood when wiping her bum. Read our expert answer below to get some reassurance if you’re concerned about the same problem. If you’ve got other worries about your body, check out the rest of our body problems resources here.

Why do I see blood when I wipe my bum?

“When I go to the toilet after doing a poo there’s blood on the tissue – not from my vagina but from my bum. Should I be worried?”

Anal fissures

There are many possible causes for blood after pooing. It could be that when wiping yourself you have caused a small tear in theskin, known as an anal fissure. This can happen to anyone, but tends to particularly affect young people. Anal fissures are rarely serious but they can take some time to heal, so might re-open each time you go to the loo.

Small tears

Equally, if you strain very hard when having a bowel movement, it’s possible to cause a small tear in the rectum or anus which could result in bright red blood on the toilet paper. Again, it might look a bit dramatic but any anal or rectal bleeding should heal by itself before too long.

Piles (or haemorrhoids)

Another cause could be piles (also known as haemorrhoids) – small varicose veins, located around the anus, which have dilated and filled with blood. Thought to be caused by too much toilet straining, and a common problem for pregnant women, piles can be treated by creams available from your local chemist or pharmacy and usually clear up pretty quickly.

If you’re worried about bleeding from your bum

Although it’s very rare, finding blood in the toilet bowl, or experiencing pain or bleeding from your bum can sometimes indicate more serious conditions, so you should speak to your local doctor (GP). They will be able to examine you and, taking into account your medical history, give you a diagnosis and details of appropriate treatment. Don’t be shy about getting an examination, the doctor will have seen more bums than you can possibly imagine!

Questions or concerns about your body? Let us know on our discussion boards.