A faecal occult blood test checks for blood in faeces, which indicates a digestive system problem like rectal or colon cancer, polyp, or growth. The result of the test whether or not the stool has blood, and if it does, the doctor will have to check for the cause of the bleeding and offer suitable treatment.
What makes blood present in faeces?
Blood may be present in faeces for any of the following reasons.
How do I perform a faecal occult blood test?
Different types of test are available to check for faecal occult blood. You can purchase a test kitfor faecal occult blood detection at a pharmacy, or your doctor may give you a kit to use for the test at home. The test kits have instructions, and most have contact details if you have questions on how to use the kit.
Some test kits require you to put a special tissue or pad in the kit into the toilet, and then observe for a colour change. Some other tests require the collection of stool sample over a couple of days, then send the sample in the provided container and envelop to the doctor’s office for analysis using chemicals or a microscope. Ensure you always use the newer and high sensitive versions of the test kits.
How to prepare for a faecal occult blood test
You will not need to cleanse your colon as is required for a colonoscopy. However, you should adhere to these instructions.
Do not perform the test if you have the following.
Some foods tend to alter the test result, so it is best not to take them 48 – 72 hours before your test.
You may also need to stop some medications about 48 hours before your test, so ask the doctor .
What does the result mean?
A positive result means that blood was present in the stool. Note that in this case, a positive result may not be good.
If your result is positive, you may need to perform other tests to know the cause of the bleeding. You may likely undergo an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy or colonoscopy to check if the bleeding originated from your small intestine or stomach. If the result of these tests does not show anything, you may have to take a small capsule which would take pictures of your intestines. The capsule may be able to show areas the tests cannot, especially in the small intestine.
If the test result is negative, it means no blood was present in the stool when you took the test. Ensure you follow your doctor’s recommendation for regular checks for cancer.
How often should I perform a faecal occult blood test?
You may not need to take the test to check for faecal occult blood. You can opt for other tests like colonoscopy, which involves the doctor using a flexible tube with a camera to check the colon. CT scan, also called virtual colonoscopy and tests for cancer DNA in faeces are other tests you can undergo.
If you decide to perform the test for faecal occult blood, you will need to get the test every year alongside other tests that your doctor may recommend. These tests include a barium enema (an x-ray of the colon after taking a barium enema) and flexible sigmoidoscopy (a type of colonoscopy which doesn’t check the digestive system). You will need these tests after every five years to check for cancer and colorectal polyps. If your test for faecal occult blood is positive, you will need to get a colonoscopy.
If you want to get a test for faecal occult blood, book a same day appointment for blood test in London at Medical Express Clinic today.