The Do's And Don'ts of Rectal Bleeding

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

General Douglas MacArthur, on his retirement from the U.S army, reminisced, "old soldiers never die they just fade away." I've now written over 1,500 newspaper columns and some never seem to die nor fade away. For instance, a previous article dealing with a unique way of treating hemorrhoids and anusitis continues to trigger letters from readers every year. Readers who say they remember the column, but can't recall the cure. But these letters also show that many people fail to learn a basic rule; never, never, ignore rectal bleeding.

Anurex is one of the best-kept secrets to treat these conditions. It's a reusable probe containing a gel that's gently inserted into the rectum after being cooled in the freezer for a minimum of one hour. The probe is left in the rectum for six minutes, removed, washed and placed back in the freezer. The cold decreases inflammation and swelling which in turn reduces irritation, discharge and bleeding.

Many people think they're suffering from hemorrhoids, but the cause of their discomfort is actually anusitis, a common and frequently overlooked condition. Anusitis is an inflamed area just inside the anus which causes a burning sensation, discharge and wetness. This results in multiple tiny cracks that trigger itching.

Anurex is used twice a day for two weeks, then once a day for another two weeks. Patients can then use it as needed. The results are good. 90 percent of patients are relieved of itching and burning within one to two days. It's of particular help to pregnant women and it's also "drug free", a great benefit these days.

Unfortunately many letters from readers show that patients with rectal problems postpone seeing their doctor. They assume the bleeding is due to hemorrhoids or fear it may be due to cancer. Others who have no hesitation seeing the doctor for a stomach upset are too embarrassed to have a rectal exam. An article in the British Journal of Medicine shows that less than half of those with rectal bleeding sought medical advice for this problem.

I've seen too many people die of colon cancer because they neglected to report rectal bleeding. Today this malignancy is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in North America. But unlike malignancies of the ovaries and pancreas which are hard to diagnose it's possible to detect and remove polyps by colonoscopy long before they become malignant. Ideally by age 40 everyone should have this procedure done.

There's also more to rectal bleeding than hemorrhoids and cancer. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBS) can be associated with abdominal pain, fever, weight loss, diarrhea and bleeding.

Some of these patients suffer from ulcerative colitis, an inflammation of the inner lining of the large bowel and rectum. Others have a condition called Crohn's Disease in which the inflammation extends deeper into the intestinal wall and often affects both small and large bowel. The early diagnosis and treatment of IBD can help ease its progression.

Due to an aging population more patients are developing diverticulosis, small hernias of the large bowel. These pouches are often without symptoms, but in 15 to 40 percent of cases painless bleeding occurs. If these hernias become inflamed they ignite abdominal pain and fever. Diverticulosis usually results from a long-standing history of constipation due to a low fiber diet. Should one of these pouches rupture, an emergency operation is needed.

If the final diagnosis is hemorrhoids that require treatment, fewer cases today are being treated by surgical removal. Rather, doctors place a tiny rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid and then use cryosurgery to freeze it.

The rubber band shuts off the blood supply to the hemorrhoid and several days later the pile drops off. This leaves a raw area that takes two to three weeks to heal. Most patients require two to three visits to destroy all the hemorrhoids.

The good news is that rectal bleeding is usually the result of hemorrhoids. But patients who assume this is the case are playing a dangerous and often lethal game of Russian roulette. The only safe approach is to exclude all other diseases as the cause of the bleeding before treating hemorrhoids.

Anurex is available in most pharmacies in Canada.

On another matter, Terry Schiavo, a Florida woman, has been kept in a vegetative state for 16 years. A Living Will that states your views in the event of critical illness can help to prevent this from happening. If you can't obtain one, The Gifford-Jones Living Will can be obtained by sending $5.00 and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Gifford-Jones at 1 First Canadian Medical Centre, Box 119, Toronto, Ontario M5X 1A4.

W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1

Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones

Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod