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Exams and Tests

• A doctor will perform a complete history and physical exam to evaluate your problem. The physical will include a digital rectal exam, to test for visible or microscopic blood from your rectum.

• The doctor may need to insert a tube through your nose into your stomach to help identify the source of the bleeding. The procedure is called endoscopy. An endoscope is a long tube with a tiny camera on the end. It may be passed through the nose into the stomach, or through the rectum into the colon, to directly see the source of bleeding. Endoscopy can be both diagnostic, finding the source of bleeding, and therapeutic, stopping it.

• Lab tests also can be helpful to determine the rate or severity of bleeding and to determine factors that may contribute to the problem.