Understanding the Significance of Bowel Movement Colors

10. Bright Red

If you notice bright red bowel movements, there may be a reason to contact your physician. If you cannot identify a food that may have caused the change, you may be bleeding somewhere within your lower intestinal tract. You can tell this because the blood is still red, and has not had time to become black and tarlike. This can be caused by a variety of factors, including cancer, colitis, hemorrhoids, fissures and diverticulitis. You may notice red coloring on the toilet tissue, which can indicate that is caused by bleeding and not red food dye. If this happens to you, you should schedule an appointment with your physician to find out what the exact cause is.