Occult Blood

What Causes Occult Blood?

Occult blood can have various causes, just like most other symptoms.  Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms.  In order to diagnose occult blood, we could:

  • Research the topic
  • Find a doctor with the time
  • Use a diagnostic computer system.
The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "occult blood" as a symptom.  Here are eight of many possibilities:
  • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Stomach Ulcers
  • Rectal Cancer
  • Colon Cancer
  • Small Intestine Cancer
  • Stomach Cancer
  • Carcinoid Cancer
  • Crohn's Disease

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:
high ESR
acute abdominal pain
regular painful urge to defecate
severe left iliac pain
low diastolic blood pressure
ulcerative colitis in remission
family history of colorectal cancer
frequent mucus in stools
dizziness when standing up
excessive flatulence
mild abdominal discomfort
frequent unexplained fevers
... and more than 80 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of occult blood:
Cause Probability Status
Small Intestine Cancer 95% Confirm
Crohn's Disease 25% Unlikely
Stomach Cancer 23% Unlikely
Rectal Cancer 2% Ruled out
Carcinoid Cancer 1% Ruled out
Ulcerative Colitis 1% Ruled out
Colon Cancer 0% Ruled out
Stomach Ulcers 0% Ruled out
* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate having had recent lab tests, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:
Occult blood. Have lab tests found blood in your stool within the past 6 months?
Possible responses:
→ Not tested within past 6 months / don't know
→ No, stool tested negative
→ In the past only, now resolved
→ Yes, trace or small amounts
→ Yes, enough for doctor to be concerned
Based on your response to this question, which may indicate absence of occult blood, history of occult blood, trace amounts of occult blood or significant amounts of occult blood, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:
... and also rule out issues such as:
Concerned or curious about your health?  Try The Analyst™
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