Читать книгу The Good Gut Guide: Help for IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease, Diverticulitis, Food Allergies and Other Gut Problems - Stephanie Zinser - Страница 25

The answer may seem obvious – bright red blood passing out of your bowel. You’d be a fool not to notice, right? Well, not necessarily. People are often in a hurry, preoccupied or distracted, and some of us are more likely to make a visual inspection of our bowel movements than others. It’s human nature – we all have different levels (and areas) of curiosity. If bleeding comes from high up in the digestive system, it may not look bright red at all, but may be black and tarry – we may not even recognize it as blood. Similarly, women having a period may easily confuse blood that actually comes from their bowels with menstrual flow. Lastly, blood may occasionally be present even though we don’t see it at all – this is called ‘occult’, or hidden, bleeding and can be tested for by doctors.

Because doctors take bleeding seriously, they will normally ask several questions about it, so it’s a good idea to think about when and how your bleeding shows itself. What colour is it? Is it bright red or dark, even black? Is it mixed in with your stools, or does it appear as a streak on the toilet paper? Does it only happen during a bowel movement, or at other times as well? Have you noticed any other symptoms like diarrhoea, pain, tiredness or itching?