Faecal Occult Blood Test - what is it and how the test is done
The presence of blood anywhere, especially in any of your body fluids or secretions, could be an alarming sign. It indicates that something serious is going on inside your body, whether you have any other symptoms or not.
It is always important and the foremost priority of a person to get themselves checked if they ever notice bloody discharge anywhere in their body. In most people, it is common to come across blood on their stools.
There are several reasons for the presence of blood in the stool, and they could be both serious and non-serious, such as:
- Haemorrhoids
- Anal fissure
- Polyps (cancerous and noncancerous)
- Ulcerative colitis
- Crohn’s Disease
However, it is always important to rule out the possibility of a severe underlying issue that could endanger your body in the long run.
A faecal occult blood test is ordered for this purpose. It involves the collection of stool samples at different times of the day since, in many people, the blood may not always accompany the stool whenever and wherever. Once sent to the lab, these stool samples are analysed for the presence of blood and the underlying causes that might be causing it to appear.