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SYMPTOMS & AYURVEDIC REMEDIES
BLOODY STOOLSWHAT DOES IT MEAN? WHAT'S CAUSING IT? WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Written by John Immel,
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Written by John Immel,
Are you prone to a problem with 'Bloody stools'?
Although most cases resolve spontaneously, bleeding from the GI tract can be scary. Most bleeding comes from hemorrhoids, diverticulum, inflammatory bowel diseases, impacted fecal matter, ulcers, angiodysplasia, polyps or cancer. Mortality and recurrence becomes more common and serious in the 8th and 9th decades of life. Always check with your primary care physician if you see blood in your stools. Bright red blood on the toilet paper, or coating the stool indicates bleeding from the rectum or end of the colon, a lower gastro-intestinal bleed (LGIB). Blood from the ascending colon may be darker and mixed into the stool. The blood from hemorrhages higher up in the stomach or small intestines will often be digested into a tarry, black, foul smelling substance. Upper gastrointestinal bleeds (UGIB) are often caused by ulcers or tears in the esophagus. Blood in the stools that is not visible but shows up in laboratory tests is called occult blood. Dark or black color can also be from black licorice, blueberries, iron supplements, lead, and Pepto-bismol. Red stool can come from natural / artificial coloring such as red gelatin, or from beets. Chronic bleeding from the GI tract leads to iron deficient anemia. Qualified medical help is the best way to resolve gastrointestinal bleeding. Herbs and dietary changes may be useful in chronic cases, or to prevent recurrence, with the approval of your doctor. Traditional methods to arrest intestinal bleeding included use of astringent herbs, hemostatic herbs, vulneraries, & astringents. Disclaimer: 'Bloody stools' could be serious and should be checked by a medical doctor.
DIET REMEDIES FOR 'BLOODY STOOLS'PRODUCT REMEDIES FOR 'BLOODY STOOLS' FIND MORE POOP RELATED PRODUCTS
See our herbs & products in these categories. Or, click here for general Poop Tips.
DIGESTION PRODUCTSCLEANSE AND DETOX PRODUCTS DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body. HOW DOES AYURVEDA HEAL 'BLOODY STOOLS'?
AVOID DIETS, LIFESTYLES & HERBS THAT AGGRAVATE THESE EFFECTS
With Bloody stools, one or more of the following
doshas
and qualities may be aggravated.
If you have an imbalance of one of these doshas or qualities, Ayurveda recommends avoiding foods and lifestyle habits that aggravate that quality and/or dosha.
These imbalanced doshas and qualities may need to be brought back into balance before this condition can be healed.
Click on the quality to learn what foods and
lifestyle habits should be avoided.
 Symptoms Tell A Story The first step to healing is learning patterns from your symptoms. Symptoms are clues that reveal underlying imbalances, showing you where your body is weak. Specifically, they reveal the doshas & qualities that may have become aggravated. If you notice a quality or dosha appears next to many of your symptoms, it helps you establish a pattern that may be systemic.V = VATA, P = PITTA, K = KAPHA 
To learn more about the symbols above, click on them. Are you prone to a problem with 'Bloody stools'?
FAVOR DIETS, LIFESTYLES & HERBS WITH THESE MEDICINAL EFFECTSEverything you eat has an effect on your body, which Ayurveda categorizes in a simple and easy way, using gunas. Gunas are qualities (like cold and hot) that describe the effect a food or herb has on your body. Cooling foods like cucumber, decrease metabolism. Heating foods like chili pepper, stimulate your body and increase metabolism. For 'Bloody stools', you should select foods with the following qualities (gunas). Individual results will vary, based on your body type and the root cause of your imbalance.
To learn more about the symbols above, click on them. Heart & Circulation: Hemostatic , HEMOSTATICAn herb that stops bleeding.Styptic , STYPTICA herb that contracts tissue or blood vessels. Generally styptics are astringent. They are often used to stop bleeding.Vulnerary VULNERARYAn herb used for the treatment of wounds. Promotes healing of skin lesions and wounds/promotes cell growth and repairImmune System: Antimicrobial ANTIMICROBIALAn agent that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth. Antimicrobial is an umbrella term that can be broken down into specific categories of target microorganism, such as anti-bacterials, fungals, and virals.Lung and Sinus: Demulcent DEMULCENTHerbs that coat or form a soothing film over a mucous membrane, relieving minor pain and inflammation of the membrane.ADDRESS ISSUES IN STAGE OF DISEASE 4BLOODY STOOLS IS IN STAGE OF DISEASE 4 - TISSUE DISEASEIf you have symptoms in this category it means your imbalances have overwhelmed your body's resistance causing a full-fledged disease. Once imbalance reaches this stage it is more likely to cause acute or chronic conditions. You might be tempted to focus your attention on fighting symptoms in this category, but dismiss earlier warning signs of imbalance - i.e. symptoms in the stage 1 category. It is ideal to find and address the root causes weakening your system and remove them first. This ensures you are not adding fuel to the fire of disease. Once the root causes are removed, you can work on addressing the disease head on along with strengthening your body. This typically yields a quicker recovery and prevents recurrence. Ayurveda's preventative approach suggests you pay careful attention to every stage of disease development. REDUCE THESE RELATED SYMPTOMS & HABITSThe following symptoms & habits may be related to 'Bloody stools'. See your quiz results for a computerized assessment of your body type. Please click on the symptoms below to learn more about them.Click Below to Find Out More
WHAT'S NEXT? 
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HOW AYURVEDA WORKS
ARE YOU WONDERING HOW AYURVEDA CAN HELP YOU?
WHY IS AYURVEDA THE RIGHT SOLUTION?Ayurveda strengthens the body, in addition to addressing the disorder. It take a holistic, systemic approach, instead of myopically focusing on the disorder in question. Ayurveda shows a person how to interpret signs and symptoms of imbalance, and how to address them using materials from home, so they can optimize their health on a continual basis. You can't take the doctor home with you, but you can take Ayurveda home with you. Ayurveda is the most advanced and easy to use home system for self healing with an exceptional focus on digestion.HOW DOES AYURVEDA WORK?Ayurveda starts by identifying your body type, which identifies certain tendencies in your body to get sick (as well as identifying your strengths). It uses body type to determine the likely root causes of your disorders. Next, Ayurveda analyzes the nature of your disorder. It fits all your signs and symptoms into a pattern, expressed as a combination of gunas / qualities. For example, you may have a heat disorder, a cold disorder, or an oily disorder, etc. This simple categorical approach shows you how to correct systemic imbalances and strengthen your body as a whole.On Joyful Belly, we've created an extensive categorization of food so you can easily match food to your imbalances (gunas). By eating an optimal diet that balances your gunas, your whole body is strengthened and the conditions that created the disorder are removed. Once the root causes of the disease are removed, the disease lessens in strength or disappears altogether. Additional remedies - such as herbs and lifestyle practices - focused on the specific disorder, can greatly enhance your healing. Want to learn more about Ayurveda and its step-by-step approach to healing? Click below.LEARN MOREGET STARTEDTo get started on your Ayurvedic journey, we first recommend that your find your body type by taking our free quiz. In Ayurveda, every solution is based on your unique body type, so by taking this quiz, you’ll get the best results.5 WAYS TO HEAL YOUR BODY
WITH AYURVEDA - FREE REPORT!
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About the Author John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda. His approach to Ayurveda exudes a certain ease, which many find enjoyable and insightful. His online course Balance Your Ayurvedic Diet in a Week provides tools for gracefully healing with Ayurveda to thousands. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda , which specializes in digestive tract pathology & Ayurvedic nutrition. John and his wife Natalie recently published Explore Your Hunger: A Guide to Hunger, Appetite & Food.John's interest in Ayurveda and digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, including his public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. Comments & Personal ExperiencesHow does 'bloody stools' affect your quality of life? What aggravates it? What has helped you? Is there something you'd like to know about 'bloody stools'?9 likes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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