There are times when someone may notice that their stools look a little black and tarry when compared to a regular bowel movement. If they get sick, there may be the presence of what looks like used coffee grounds. These are indications that there may be bleeding somewhere in the digestive tract. The faecal occult blood test is used to determine if there is actually blood in the stool that is being passed out of the body.
Occult simply means from a medical perspective, no one can detect the blood if they were to look at the stool sample on their own.
Why Is the Faecal Occult Blood Test Ordered?
A spot of blood on the toilet paper that is bright red is more an indication that there is skin irritation or a bothersome hemorrhoid present. Digestive tract bleeding issues, such as an ulcer, a bowel polyp, or the presence of ulcerative colitis may create ongoing bleeding, but the blood is attempted to be digested by the body. This is what creates the black color and what looks like a tarry stool being passed.
Sometimes, however, the amount of blood that is being released by these potential health conditions isn’t a heavy flow. It could just be a slow trickle instead. The faecal occult blood test is ordered when a medical provider suspects that a person’s physical symptoms may be caused by a bleeding condition, but there isn’t enough blood present to make it noticeable.
Some medical providers may also use the faecal occult blood test as a screening tool for bowel and digestive tract cancers, but further testing is usually required to confirm any diagnosis.
What Do My Test Results Mean?
The faecal occult blood test results will either be positive or negative. A negative result means there is no blood contained within the stool sample. This does not necessarily mean there isn’t a condition within the digestive tract that is causing bothersome physical symptoms, but it does mean at that moment, the condition is not bleeding.
A positive result indicates that there is bleeding present and it is occurring somewhere within the digestive tract. The test cannot tell a medical provider where the specific source of bleeding is actually happening. Depending on the physical symptoms being experienced, a colonoscopy or an endoscopy may be ordered to determine a more specific diagnosis.
There is a direct correlation in a person’s age and the likelihood of achieving a positive result. This is especially true for bleeding that is caused by a malignancy. Certain lifestyle habits may also create a positive result, especially for those who consume high levels of caffeine and painkillers on a regular basis.
It is not unusual for a medical provider to order a series of these tests to determine the extent of bleeding since there may be days when no bleeding occurs.
How Is the Test Taken?
Unlike other blood tests, the faecal occult blood test does not require a blood draw. A medical provider will typically request a full stool sample that is collected from a trap that is placed in the toilet. This sample is then packaged at home and delivered to the medical provider so that testing may occur. Then a chemical is added to the stool sample and this will indicate where blood is present if any happens to be there.
There are also home testing kits that are available for the faecal occult blood test. This allows anyone to conduct the test on their own to determine if there is blood present during a bowel movement.
Sometimes an entire stool sample is not required. The flakes of faecal matter that are left on toilet paper after using the bathroom may be either scraped or bagged and submitted on their own to determine the presence of blood. If there is a skin breakdown present, however, this testing method is usually not accurate as blood could be placed on the stool sample or the toilet paper after it passes out of the body.
A normal test result on the faecal occult blood test does not always mean there isn’t a health concern which needs to be examined. Early stage cancers, developing polyps, or ulcers that are just beginning to form may cause painful symptoms without the presence of blood in a bowel movement. If there are ongoing changes in bowel habits which include diarrhea, abdominal pain, or unusual weight loss, then an appointment with a medical provider is advisable even if this test came back as normal.