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.
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:
- Stomach Ulcers
- Rectal Cancer
- Crohn's Disease
- Stomach Cancer
- Colon Cancer
- Carcinoid Cancer
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Small Intestine Cancer
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:
omnivorous diet
occasional bowel movement changes
high alcohol consumption
severe upper-right pain after food
regular aspirin use
pain between shoulder blades
dizziness when standing up
severe flatulence
moderate left iliac pain
meal-related bloating
diarrhea for 1-3 months
significant epigastric pain
omnivorous diet occasional bowel movement changes high alcohol consumption severe upper-right pain after food regular aspirin use pain between shoulder blades dizziness when standing up severe flatulence moderate left iliac pain meal-related bloating diarrhea for 1-3 months significant epigastric pain... 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Colon Cancer | 90% | Confirm |
| Crohn's Disease | 24% | Unlikely |
| Stomach Ulcers | 21% | Unlikely |
| Ulcerative Colitis | 3% | Ruled out |
| Carcinoid Cancer | 3% | Ruled out |
| Stomach Cancer | 1% | Ruled out |
| Rectal Cancer | 0% | Ruled out |
| Small Intestine Cancer | 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 |
... and also rule out issues such as:
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Last updated: Aug 06, 2023