Every time I eat spicy food, I poop blood. Why?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 26-year-old male. I am 5 feet and 9 inches tall and weigh 255 pounds. When I eat spicy food, I poop blood. Sometimes when I have constipation as well, I poop a little bit of blood. I am really scared that I have colon cancer. I do have diarrhea often. I do not have a family history of colon cancer. I got blood tests done last night. Please find my reports attached.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through your information and test reports (attachment removed to protect patient identity). So, in view of that, there are a couple of things that I can opine upon:

I want to clarify if your body weight is in kg or pounds. Your accompanying information states it to be in kg. If that is true then we might need to discuss the need and methods available for managing the body weight.

I would not suspect you of having colon cancer because of your young age and absence of family history. The painless red blood loss you are having is most likely from either hemorrhoids or some other non-cancerous rectal condition like inflammatory bowel disease, especially in view of your diarrhea.

You need to be seen by a surgeon or a gastroenterologist and undergo an internal examination to make a definite diagnosis and decide the treatment options. Until then, avoid spicy and high-fat meals. Take a high-fiber diet and plenty of fluids.

I hope that helps.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

That means your body mass index (BMI) is 37, which is higher than the healthier index of 25. Your ideal weight would be 170 pounds. So, make a resolution to lose two pounds every week, till you reach 170 lb. If you are able to achieve that within a year, you will have a BMI of 25.

It is important that you appreciate the risk posed by obesity. After tobacco, it is the most common preventable cause of so many cancers and serious diseases. So help yourself stay healthy by taking care of your body.