When to see a doctor

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Call 911 or emergency medical assistance

Seek emergency help if you have significant rectal bleeding and any signs of shock:

  • Rapid, shallow breathing
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness after standing up
  • Blurred vision
  • Fainting
  • Confusion
  • Nausea
  • Cold, clammy, pale skin
  • Low urine output

Seek immediate medical attention

Have someone drive you to an emergency room if rectal bleeding is:

  • Continuous or heavy
  • Accompanied by severe abdominal pain or cramping

Schedule a doctor's visit

Make an appointment to see your doctor if you have rectal bleeding that lasts more than a day or two, or earlier if the bleeding worries you.

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Dec. 07, 2023

See also

  1. Carcinoid tumors
  2. Colon cancer
  3. Colon Cancer Family Registry
  4. Colon cancer screening: At what age can you stop?
  5. Colon cancer screening
  6. Colon polyps
  7. Colorectal Cancer
  8. Diverticulitis
  9. GI Stents
  10. Hemorrhoids
  11. Mayo Clinic Minute: What you need to know about polyps in your colon
  12. What is ulcerative colitis? A Mayo Clinic expert explains
  13. Living with an ostomy
  14. Peritoneal carcinomatosis
  15. Plague
  16. Proctitis
  17. Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome
  18. Symptom Checker
  19. Ulcerative colitis
  20. Ulcerative colitis flare-ups: 5 tips to manage them