5 Reasons Guys Find Blood When Wiping (and What to Do About It)
El Duderino
After you wipe your butt, there’s a natural inclination to inspect the results. Most of the time, the evidence is standard: a brown streak, a stray pube, maybe even a corn kernel from your Chipotle burrito.
Go Easy, Dude
But sometimes, there’s a surprise—a bright red, bloody surprise.
5 Common Causes of Rectal Bleeding
It’s common to find blood when wiping, but most people don’t tell their doctors about it. In many cases, a little blood after a bowel movement is harmless. But it can also be the sign of a serious health condition. Coming up, we’ll cover some common causes of rectal bleeding and how to treat them.
Hemorrhoids
This is the most common cause of anal bleeding, affecting about 1 in 20 people. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the lower rectum, which is the largest part of the large intestine. In some cases, you might not know you have hemorrhoids until they burst with bright-red blood.
How to treat hemorrhoids:
- Pick up some over-the-counter hemorrhoid cream to soothe the irritation
- Be gentle when you wipe, and use wet wipes instead of toilet paper when you’re on cleanup duty for your doody
- Don’t strain yourself to poop. Hemorrhoids hate pressure.
Anal Fissures
Also known as anal ulcers, these are small tears in the lining of the anus. Anal fissures are often caused by constipation, as straining to poop causes the blood vessels in the nether regions to burst.
How to treat anal fissures:
- If you’re constipated, drink more water and add more fiber to your diet
- Talk to your doctor about hydrocortisone to reduce swelling and irritation
Polished Anus Syndrome
If you ever spot blood on your toilet paper or your butthole is chronically burning, you might be among the 5% of Americans suffering from Polished Anus Syndrome (sometimes called pruritis ani). PAS happens when you wipe aggressively with two-ply sandpaper to the point of chafing your third pit.
How to treat Polished Anus Syndrome:
- Grab a pack of DUDE Wipes. They’re infused with Aloe and Vitamin E to give your booty the spa-like treatment they deserve
- Spritz down your sensitive sides with a bidet to minimize the amount of wiping necessary
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
IBD refers to several gastrointestinal diseases that jack up your digestive tract. These include ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, both of which cause the bowels to become inflamed.
In addition to rectal bleeding, people with IBD might experience symptoms like diarrhea, cramping, weight loss, anemia, and sudden urges to hit the can.
How to treat IBD:
- Monitor your diet to understand what triggers your IBD
- Take anti-inflammatory meds to soothe your digestive tract
- Talk to your doctor to get a specific diagnosis and treatment plan
Colon Cancer
According to the New York Times, there has been a sharp increase in colorectal cancer in adults as young as 20 or 30. Colon cancer begins with colon polyps forming in the anal canal, which are benign growths that can turn into cancer cells.
One of the main symptoms of colon cancer is rectal bleeding. However, noticing blood in the toilet bowl is usually not a life-threatening situation. In a 2005 study, 96% of patients who came to their doctor with rectal bleeding did not have cancer.
Other warning signs include lower back pain, abdominal pain, or big changes in your bowel habits, like tarry poop, constipation, or really thin poop (the width of a pencil).
How to lower your risk of colon cancer:
- Eat health, exercise, and avoid excessive drinking. Oh, and if you’re smoking (or god forbid, vaping), quit.
- Early detection can be a life-saver, so if you're over the age of 40, get a colonoscopy
The Bottom Line on a Bloody Butt
As you can see, there are many possible causes for finding blood when you wipe—some more concerning than others. We’ve worked hard to earn a reputation as subject matter experts on butt stuff. But we’ll leave the official medical diagnoses to the people in the white coats.
Luckily, the fresh life doesn’t require a prescription. So grab a pack of wipes and save your ass from the scourge of blood-inducing toilet paper.
