Am I dying?? Please help!?

Q: Um, well, I was in the bathroom and was pooping. When I wiped, I noticed there was blood on the toilet paper. I looked in the toilet and there was a lot of blood. Please help! I dont know what to do. This is the first time. Should I be worried?? Or should I see a doctor?! I dont want to die! Im young! I have a phobia of blood so Im feeling very queasy and nauseous! No, its not my period. I looked and wiped in the front. I even held the tissue there for a minute. Nothing. I held it on my anal hole, and blood all over. :(

A: The bright red blood in your stool could be caused by a bunch of different things. Constipation is a common cause. For example, you can tear the tissue around your anus by passing a large stool, effectively giving yourself a cut. (Think of it like giving birth. That hole is only accustomed to getting so big.) It takes time for that cut to heal and until it does, it bleeds. Hemorrhoids can be internal or external and are often caused by struggling when trying to defecate. You can't always feel them, and they don't always hurt when you sit. Also, and this one's kind of weird, it's possible to eat things that will cause bright red blood in the stool. For example, if you eat sunflower seeds in the shell, and chew up the entire seed (along with the shell), your body has trouble breaking that down. Your stool can end up being scratchy, so that defecating is like giving birth to a sandpaper baby. Not fun. Now, I'd say the best thing to do is to consult a doctor; this symptom should always be brought to the attention of a medical professional. I think it's great that you're surrounded by people you can comfortably talk to about this. Such open communication will serve you well in life. Best of luck to you!

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