Treatment entails addressing the underlying cause, such as eating a high fiber diet for diverticular disease or taking acid-reducing medication for peptic ulcers. In contrast, those for melena may focus on upper intestinal tract procedures, such as a nasogastric lavage and endoscopy. Melena involves black, tarry stools that often come from the upper gastrointestinal tract.Įxamples of conditions that cause hematochezia include hemorrhoids and diverticular disease, while those that cause melena include peptic ulcers and GERD.ĭiagnostic tools for hematochezia may necessitate lower gastrointestinal tract procedures, such as a colonoscopy and digital rectal exam. Hematochezia presents as bright red blood that usually comes from the lower gastrointestinal tract. While both may signify gastrointestinal bleeding, there are several differences between hematochezia and melena. Another diagnostic tool for melena is an endoscopy. This procedure involves pumping the stomach contents to gauge the severity of blood loss.

A doctor may also perform some of the tests above.ĭiagnosis may include nasogastric lavage. CT scan: This is another type of imaging test that helps a doctor find anything atypical which could be causing bleeding.Ī medical history may entail asking questions to determine if black, tarry stools are present.Nuclear red blood scan: This imaging test uses radioactive material to tag red blood cells and find the source of bleeding.Endoscopy and colonoscopy: These procedures involve the insertion of a small tube with a camera into the esophagus or colon, respectively.Lab tests: These may include blood tests to see if anemia is present.Digital rectal exam: This is a procedure where a doctor inserts a gloved finger into the rectum to feel for anything atypical.Hematochezia diagnosisĪ medical history may include asking questions to determine if a person has signs of fresh bleeding, such as bright red blood on toilet paper.Īdditionally, diagnosis can entail the following: Those for hematochezia often focus more on the lower gastrointestinal tract, and techniques to diagnose melena tend to focus more on the upper gastrointestinal tract. cirrhosis, which is severe scarring of the liverĪdditionally, melena may stem from blood disorders presenting as excessive bleeding, such as hemophilia.ĭiagnostic tools will sometimes overlap.

gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which involves the frequent backward flow of acid from the stomach into the esophagus, which can result in ulcers and bleeding.a Mallory Weiss tear, which is a split in the esophageal inner lining.Upper gastrointestinal tract causes may include: This may stem from the long-term use of aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.Īnother upper gastrointestinal cause of hematochezia involves esophageal varices, which are enlarged veins in the esophagus. When this happens, causes may include peptic ulcer, which refers to bleeding from an ulcer in the stomach or duodenum. Sometimes, hematochezia can come from the upper gastrointestinal tract. inflammatory bowel disease, which refers to long-term conditions that produce inflammation in the digestive tract.ischemic colitis, which refers to inflammation in the colon due to reduced blood flow.arteriovenous malformations, which are a tangle of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins that disrupt blood flow.diverticular disease, a condition where small pouches form and push outward through the colon wall.hemorrhoids, which are swollen veins in the lower rectum.Hematochezia causesĬauses that affect the colon and rectum include:

The latter is the upper part of the small intestine. This is the esophagus (food pipe), stomach, and duodenum. This is mainly the colon and rectum, the lowest part of the colon.Ĭonversely, most of the causes of melena are conditions that affect the upper gastrointestinal tract. However, most of the causes of hematochezia are generally conditions that affect the lower gastrointestinal tract, or large intestine. The two symptoms have some causes in common. Hematochezia or melena may have life threatening causes.

Lower gi bleed bright red blood