Causes

Rectal bleeding may occur for many reasons. Common causes of rectal bleeding include:

• Anal fissure (a small tear in the lining of the anal canal)
• Constipation
• Hard stools
• Hemorrhoids (swollen and inflamed veins in your anus or rectum)

Less common causes of rectal bleeding include:

• Anal cancer
• Angiodysplasia (abnormalities in the blood vessels near the intestines)
• Colon cancer
• Colon polyps
• Crohn's disease (a type of inflammatory bowel disease)
• Diarrhea
• Diverticulosis (a bulging pouch that forms on the wall of the intestine)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Ischemic colitis (colon inflammation caused by reduced blood flow)
• Proctitis (inflammation of the lining of the rectum)
• Pseudomembranous colitis (colon inflammation caused by an infection)
• Radiation therapy
• Rectal cancer
• Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (ulcer of the rectum)
• Ulcerative colitis (a type of inflammatory bowel disease)