Take the Tummy Trouble Quiz Digestive Disease Myths Slideshow Pictures Heartburn? Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid Slideshow

Medical Author:

Dedra R Tolson, MD

Medical Editor:

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP

John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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When to Seek Medical Care

When rectal bleeding is present with one or more of the following symptoms, call a doctor:

• Fever
• Stomach pain or swelling
• Nausea or vomiting
• Bleeding continues or worsens
• Recent weight loss
• Altered bowel habits
• Severe or prolonged diarrhea
• Pencil-sized stools, involuntary seepage of stools, or inability to have a bowel movement

If any of these signs and symptoms are present, a visit to the hospital's emergency department is warranted:

• Black or maroon stools
• Large volume blood loss
• Rectal pain or trauma
• Dizziness, weakness, or fainting spells
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat
• Difficulty breathing