Over 80% of people will experience rectal bleeding at some point in their lifetime. The causes of such bleeds are multiple and most often the underlying problem is not a serious one. However, this is not always the case – bleeding from your bowels should always be reported to your doctor so that an accurate assessment of your bleeding can be made.

Haemorrhoids are normal, but with increased pressure in the anal canal or tissue laxity they can become engorged and cause a number of symptoms.

A sigmoidoscopy is an examination of the rectum and the lower end of the large bowel by means of a flexible tube (endoscope). It is the same as a colonoscopy except that it does not examine all of the colon.