home Drugs Black feces from berries. Changes in the color of stool: differences between normal and pathological

Black feces from berries. Changes in the color of stool: differences between normal and pathological

Frequent reasons for the appearance of black stool in an adult are factors such as eating coloring foods (prunes, grapes, beets), taking medications and bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. Often, changes in the color, smell and consistency of feces can provoke serious diseases: stomach ulcers, tumor processes, helminthiasis and deep mycosis. Dark coloring of stool for no apparent reason is a serious reason to seek medical help.

Possible diseases

Normally, stool is brown in various shades. A sharp darkening of stool or its black color may indicate a disease if:

a person complains of pain in the abdominal area;
the feeling of weakness increases;
temperature rises;
streaks of scarlet blood or greenish impurities are present.

Often the cause of black stool is advanced peptic ulcer. With duodenal ulcers and stomach ulcers, blood vessels can ulcerate and blood enters the gastrointestinal tract. The main symptom of ulcer bleeding is melena, or as it is also called “chernukha”. These are liquid feces, reminiscent of tar in color and consistency, with a fetid odor and possible streaks of blood. Bleeding from a stomach ulcer may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting mixed with bright blood.

The cause of blackened stool may be trauma to the stomach or upper intestine with damage to blood vessels. The patient may complain of dizziness. If first aid is not provided in time, the person will lose consciousness and may die. Indirectly indicate internal bleeding:

drop in blood pressure;
hypothermia;
cyanosis of mucous membranes and nails;
tremor;
sweating;
slow heartbeat;
thread-like pulse (with massive bleeding).

In case of poisoning with arsenic, bismuth and some other metals, black feces is one of the symptoms.

Other diseases that cause black stool:

malignant neoplasms and leukemia;
gastroenteritis and granulomatous enteritis;
gastritis;
varicose veins of the esophagus;
helminthiases;
fungal infections (histoplasmosis);
pancreatitis;
liver cancer;
cirrhosis.

Dysentery leads to darkening of the stool, most often greenish mucus is present in the stool. If only the color of the stool changes, there is no stomach pain, diarrhea or constipation, you need to wait a couple of days.

If your stools are still black, you should see a doctor. Examinations and tests will help identify the cause of the changes. A gastroenterologist may refer the patient for fibrogastroscopy to use an optical probe to examine the stomach and intestines in detail to detect the source of bleeding. It can also be a consequence of the disintegration of a tumor or foreign object in the gastrointestinal tract. Other methods of examining the gastrointestinal tract are MRI, computed tomography, ultrasound, barium X-ray. If necessary, surgical intervention is performed.

Black feces are not necessarily a sign of illness. Stool may darken:

due to the consumption of products containing large quantities of coloring pigment;
when taking certain medications;
due to age-related changes.

Products

It is easy to check the product factor by changing the diet and removing from it dishes that contain:

red beets;
berries containing the substance anthocyanin.

Anthocyanin is a plant pigment found in fruits and leaves. It gives the berries their red, blue and purple colors. The most anthocyanin is found in blackberries, blueberries, pomegranates, chokeberries, prunes, black currants, cherries and dark varieties of cherries. This substance is also contained in the skins of grapes, which is why alcohol (red wine) and red grape varieties change the color of feces. Less commonly, black stool can be caused by eating tomatoes, apples, or bananas.

But it is not only plant foods that lead to such color changes. Animal products also affect this, although in this case the list is much shorter:

liver;
meat fried rare and other half-raw meat dishes that men love so much;
blood sausage.

Small black grains can also be passed through the feces after a person eats an apple with seeds, poppy seeds, currants, grapes, persimmons, kiwis and other fruits and berries with small seeds.

Medicines

Iron preparations used in the treatment of anemia and to prevent iron deficiency during pregnancy. Therefore, pregnant women taking medications such as sorbifer and Elevit pronatal should not worry.
De-Nol and other antibiotics, as well as herbal preparations (Vicalin, Vikair), used in the treatment of bacterial gastrointestinal infections.
Choleretic drugs (Hofitol, Holebil).
Activated carbon. The color of feces changes the next day after taking several tablets of the drug.

If the stool turns black during treatment for diseases of the stomach or intestines, you need to see a doctor to avoid serious complications - for example, perforation of a stomach or duodenal ulcer with subsequent inflammation of the abdominal cavity. Pregnant women also need to see their doctor if they suspect that the cause of the change in stool color is not only pronatal elevit, and feel signs of ill health: loss of strength, abdominal pain, etc.

Conclusion

The appearance of black stool in an adult is not necessarily a symptom of the disease, but you should definitely pay attention to this change. Those who have a history of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, or gall bladder should be especially careful. In this case, a change in the color of the stool may be a sign of a sharp exacerbation of the disease or its malignancy.

Such a phenomenon as black stool may indicate a serious illness or bleeding in the organs. Therefore, when black stool appears, you should pay attention to other symptoms. Various foods can also stain stool, but in any case you should pay attention to this and, if necessary, consult a doctor immediately.

The color of the stool depends on the work and food that entered the body during the day. However, color, like consistency, stool frequency, has its own norm. For example, the normal color of stool is considered to be from yellow-brown to dark brown. Black color is definitely abnormal for stool.

Faced with such a phenomenon, a person begins to worry about what black feces means and whether it is dangerous. There is no need to panic right away. You need to remember what you ate the day before, since the reasons may be physiological and non-hazardous, and carefully monitor further signs and symptoms:

Feces may turn black when eating large amounts of black and dark foods, such as black grapes, prunes, and beets. In this case, only the color, and not the consistency and frequency of the stool, changes. If you stop eating these foods, the stool will return to normal color after a couple of days. In some cases, the stool may be liquid, since prunes not only color, but also weaken.
Some drugs can also cause changes in stool color. For example, activated carbon, which is completely excreted in the feces and colors it, iron preparations, which oxidize in the stomach and intestines and acquire a dark color, preparations containing bismuth. The color normalizes when the drugs are discontinued.
Bleeding in the esophagus and. Black feces indicate bleeding in the upper sections. Blood in the stomach oxidizes, then mixes with bile in the duodenum and turns the stool black. This is an alarming symptom that requires immediate hospitalization. possible with varicose veins of the esophagus, injuries of the esophagus, ulcers and malignant tumors of the stomach. When bleeding, in addition to black stool, other symptoms appear, for example, nausea, vomiting like coffee grounds, weakness, dizziness.

Drug treatment and possible complications

If black feces appeared not due to physiological reasons, but due to bleeding, then without medical help there can be many complications and unpleasant consequences.

Gastrointestinal bleeding is a condition that is dangerous to life and health. Complications after the appearance of black stool:

Hemorrhagic shock. This is a serious condition of the body that develops due to extensive blood loss. With hemorrhagic shock, the patient experiences a disturbance in heart rhythm and a fall. With blood loss of more than 50%, irreversible hemorrhagic shock and complete loss of consciousness develop.
. Anemia (or anemia) can also develop with small but constant blood loss. Symptoms of anemia: pale skin, chronic fatigue, dizziness, headache, tinnitus.
Acute renal failure. With blood loss, the kidneys (one or both) may stop performing their function due to insufficient blood flow, which leads to serious disturbances in protein metabolism in the body.
Death. The most dangerous and undesirable consequence. If you try to treat bleeding on your own, there is no medical assistance and there is serious damage to the stomach, the outcome can be the most unfavorable.

Treatment of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract requires bed rest and complete rest. If the source of the bleeding is identified, it is advisable to apply an ice compress to the area.

The procedure helps determine the source of bleeding.

If FGDS shows that blood is secreted from the lower part of the esophagus (with varicose veins of the esophagus), the source of bleeding can be cauterized immediately.

In addition, various hemostatic drugs are injected into the vein. In cases of severe blood loss, a transfusion or donor blood is performed. If drug therapy is ineffective, surgery is performed to resect the ulcer or source of bleeding.

Traditional treatment

Diagnosing yourself and self-medicating for gastrointestinal bleeding is extremely dangerous. Therefore, before using any remedy, it is important to consult a doctor so as not to worsen your condition.

You can treat with folk remedies black loose stools caused by a large amount of prunes or grapes, when diarrhea begins against the background of a large number of laxative products. In this case, there will be no other symptoms of illness, pain, dizziness, but there may be weakness caused by dehydration.

People's advice:

The first thing to do is to stop eating large amounts of prunes, beets and black grapes. Often this is enough. But there are times when you need to stop diarrhea quickly.
The safest remedy for diarrhea is boiled rice. It strengthens and quickly helps overcome diarrhea. You just need to boil the washed rice in water so that you get half soup and half porridge. Then drain the water and drink this rice water. It is not necessary to eat the rice itself. The broth should not contain salt or sugar.
There is a way to treat diarrhea with apples. You need to eat an apple without the peel every 2 hours and do not eat or drink anything else. This method can be effective against diarrhea, but if you suspect bleeding, you should not eat apples; they irritate the walls of the stomach and increase the acidity of gastric juice due to malic acid. It is not recommended to eat apples on an empty stomach for people suffering from gastritis or ulcers.
Black tea strengthens well. It is enough to brew strong tea and drink it throughout the day. If you overdo it, you can get constipation instead of diarrhea.
A decoction of pomegranate peel gives a good effect. The peel needs to be washed, crushed, filled with water and boiled for about half an hour. The strained broth is drunk 2 tablespoons an hour before meals.
Sometimes a solution of potato starch helps. You need to dilute a spoonful of starch in a glass of cool purified or boiled water and drink this solution in one gulp.

Black feces during pregnancy

Any suspicion of bleeding poses a potential threat to the mother and child. Therefore, it is advisable for a woman carrying a child to consult a doctor with any questions or concerns.

However, black feces during pregnancy are not always a sign of bleeding and a serious illness. As a rule, a pregnant woman is examined for prevention, but most often the cause of black stool is hormonal changes. At the beginning of pregnancy, a woman’s body begins to rebuild, for this reason, a woman often experiences various organ dysfunctions.

During pregnancy, the color of stool may change due to increased levels. It is this hormone that also affects frequency, mood swings, nausea, etc.

In the case of bleeding, black feces are only the initial symptom; after a while, other disorders appear that will be reflected in the regular symptoms of pregnancy.

You should definitely consult a doctor if black stool in a pregnant woman is accompanied by fever, severe weakness, pallor, cold sweat, nausea and vomiting.

Sometimes black feces are a consequence of treating a pregnant woman for constipation. Due to decreased smooth muscle tone, constipation can plague a pregnant woman from the first trimester. Constipation often leads to hemorrhoids and other troubles, so women begin to actively fight this with home remedies: eat prunes, drink dried fruit compotes, eat more vegetables and fruits, grapes, currants, blueberries. As a result, constipation goes away, but black stool appears, colored by these products. In this case, it is enough to remember your diet and reduce your consumption of black berries and fruits.

More information about the reasons for changes in stool color can be found in the video:

Sometimes during pregnancy, diarrhea and poisoning appear, which the woman treats with the help of relatively safe activated carbon. And it, as you know, also colors feces.Despite the fact that most often black feces during pregnancy are normal, it is better to play it safe and get tested.

The color of a healthy person's stool can range from light brown to dark brown. This color is caused by the presence in the feces of a product that is produced as a result of pigment metabolism processes.

Causes of changes in stool color

The color or shade of stool may change due to:

taking certain medications, for example, hematogen, bismuth salts, calomel. In such cases, the stool may be black or green;
consumed certain foods. For example, after eating asparagus, lettuce and sorrel, the feces acquire a greenish tint. And after eating black currants, cherries and blueberries, it can turn black;
the predominance of certain nutrients in products. For example, when consuming a large amount of milk, the color of stool may become golden-yellow, when consuming meat and sausage products - black-brown, and when consuming plant foods - light brown.

However, a change in the color and shade of feces may also indicate the development of certain pathological processes in the body and be one of the symptoms of the following diseases:

cirrhosis of the liver;
stomach ulcer;
development of malignant and benign neoplasms;
hepatitis;
gastric erosion;
bleeding from hemorrhoids:
bleeding from the rectum.

If the color of stool changes for no reason, that is, it was not preceded by taking certain medications and foods, you should immediately seek medical help. After all, a timely diagnosis will help eliminate the problem in the early stages of its development, which will lead to a successful and rapid cure of the disease. In such situations, it is recommended to contact specialists in the field:

hepatology;
gastroenterology;
oncology.

Light-colored stool

Faeces that have a pale tint (white, gray) in most cases indicate that the person ate a large amount the day before:

potatoes
tapioca;
rice

If a person has had a barium sulfate x-ray, they will also experience discolored stool for several days.
Taking certain medications meant to relieve diarrhea can also cause gray stools. The fact is that these drugs contain additives such as calcium and antacids.

If we consider the issue of the occurrence of pale stool from the other side, it becomes clear that the bile secreted by the gallbladder does not enter the intestines for some reason. This may signal the development of certain diseases, including those associated with the closure of the bile ducts, namely:

pancreatitis;
tumors of the bile ducts;
hepatitis A;
stones in the gall bladder and bile ducts;
cancer or cirrhosis of the liver.

Thus, we can conclude that if a person has white stool, it means that he has problems with the gallbladder. Perhaps he suffers from cholecystitis.

Red stool

Red or red-brown color of stool should alert you. After all, it is a harbinger of the development of certain pathological processes in the body. Although in most cases, red feces indicate that you ate a fairly large amount of the following foods the day before:

beets;
red gelatin;
tomatoes;
fruit punches.

Also, red stool may indicate that a person took certain antibiotics, which contributed to the formation of ulcers in the intestines. And this already caused bleeding. After taking potassium tablets and some other medications, you may also experience blood in your stool.

If you notice the appearance of bloody stools and did not eat red foods the day before, this may indicate the presence of fissures in the anus, as well as hemorrhoids. These problems could arise for the following reasons:

after childbirth;
after sexual intercourse;
presence of foreign objects in the rectum;
with frequent constipation.

Also, red stool can be a consequence of a disease such as intestinal inflammation. This disease, in addition to bloody stool, is characterized by the presence of diarrhea and severe cramps.

In addition to the problems listed above, red feces can be a harbinger of some other diseases of the digestive system. So, if the stool is bright red, the problem is most likely in the lower intestines. It is very likely that there are malfunctions of the large intestine, for example, diverticulitis, when small areas of the rectum become inflamed due to the presence of infection. This condition is characterized by the presence of acute pain in the lower abdomen.

As for stool that is dark red in color, the problem is most likely located in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract, namely:

in the small intestine;
in the stomach;
in the esophagus.

Bloody stool is sometimes the only symptomatic manifestation of colon cancer, as well as the presence of polyps. These polyps can be either malignant or benign.

However, in these cases, along with bloody stools, the presence of:

attacks of nausea and vomiting;
diarrhea;
spasms;
general weakness;
significant weight loss.

Yellow stool

Light yellow (golden) feces can be observed with the development of a pathology such as fermentative dyspepsia, in other words, a disturbance in the digestion of carbohydrates. This pathology may cause disturbances in the functioning of the digestive organs in terms of insufficient digestion of the connective tissue membranes of plant fibers. Thus, the carbohydrates present in plant foods become inaccessible to the enzymes of the pancreas and small intestine.

Often yellow stool in adults occurs due to poor digestion of food in the large intestine, as well as due to pancreatic insufficiency.

It is worth noting that in children who are breastfed, the color of stool can vary from pale yellow or even green-yellow to rich yellow with a golden tint.

Green stool

The green color of stool may indicate the development of certain diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. For example, about the course of pathological processes in the small intestine, as well as about the development of dysbiosis, which provokes the processes of fermentation and rotting of consumed food.

The stool may turn green due to certain antibiotics. This color is due to the fact that the intestines contain a large number of dead leukocytes, which accumulate in it against the background of emerging foci of inflammation.

Green feces are also characteristic of a disease such as dysentery, which is an intestinal infection. Along with such stool, a person usually experiences:

significant increase in body temperature:
abdominal pain;
attacks of nausea and profuse vomiting;
aches and weakness throughout the body.

Also, feces may acquire a green tint due to the oxidation of iron, which is present in red blood cells. This occurs due to the development of complications of ulcers or malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract.

Another cause of green stool is diseases of the hematopoietic organs. The fact is that due to the breakdown of red blood cells, hemoglobin is converted into a large amount of bilirubin. As a result, this substance, when entering the intestines, gives the stool a greenish tint.

In children aged 6-8 months, the color of the stool may also be green. This occurs due to the fact that unchanged bilirubin enters the child’s intestines. And if no other symptoms are observed (fever, abdominal pain, blood in the stool), there is no need to worry.

Dark-colored stool

In most cases, stool that is black in color produces a more shocking and even ominous impression on a person than bloody stool.

However, not everything is as sad as it might seem at first glance. After all, a common reason for stool turning black is:

taking activated carbon;
taking various nutritional supplements that contain iron;
taking medications that contain bismuth;
consumption of black licorice;
eating blueberries.

But if you find dark stool (almost black), which will have a viscous consistency (tarry), rush to consult a competent doctor. After all, this may signal the presence of blood in the stool, which, in the process of entering from the esophagus into the lower parts of the gastrointestinal tract, undergoes changes - it becomes thick, viscous, and also acquires a dark color.

A common cause of black stool is alcohol abuse, as well as taking certain medications and drugs that contribute to the development of esophageal bleeding. Such medications include:

ibuprofen:
acetaminophen;
aspirin;
other non-steroidal drugs, the action of which is aimed at relieving inflammatory processes.

As for diseases that may have black stool as a symptom, these include:

gastritis;
colon cancer;
duodenal ulcer (in the small intestine area);
stomach ulcer;
tumor neoplasms in the upper gastrointestinal tract;
inflammation of the inner walls of the stomach.

In conclusion, it is necessary to recall once again that if changes in the color of stool are detected, it is recommended to immediately seek medical help. A qualified specialist will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe competent treatment. Be healthy!

Why is stool black? Possible causes are medicinal, nutritional, functional and due to health problems. All about black feces.

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Normal stool (stool) is tan to brown in color. Sometimes stool can change color, becoming slightly lighter or darker depending on the foods and drinks that were recently eaten, as well as on medications, dietary supplements, and even the speed of passage of the bolus through the intestines. However, there are cases when the color of stool cannot be considered normal. And the black color of the stool is one of these cases.

Causes of black stool

The causes of black stool can be attributed to nutritional, physiological and pathological factors.

Nutritional factor- foods and drinks that can change the color of stool.

Physiological– it includes those conditions that are not considered a disease, but are a consequence of disruption of normal processes in the body, which lead to a change in the color of stool.

Pathological– diseases and conditions that lead to black stool.

It is important to note that black stool, like any other abnormal color or texture of stool, is a clinical symptom of a health problem, not a disease.

If you notice that the stool has become black in color, also pay attention to the shape, inclusions and texture of the stool, as well as the fact that the bowel movement has been disrupted. These findings may be helpful in diagnosing the underlying cause.

Foods that turn stool black

Large amounts of certain foods or drinks can change the color of your stool. This usually occurs within a few hours (up to a maximum of 72) after consuming these foods. This is a temporary phenomenon and the color of the stool will return to normal as soon as the coloring foods leave the intestines naturally. These products include:

Beet;
Blueberries or blueberries in large quantities;
Licorice;
Raw or undercooked red meat, or other foods with significant amounts of blood, such as blood sausages.
Some drinks consumed in large quantities can also cause black stool. This may be due, for example, to the abuse of alcoholic beverages containing black dyes, which will give the stool a dark brown to black color.

Blood in the stool

Any blood that passes through the gastrointestinal tract will be colored black. This occurs due to the oxidation of hemoglobin in the blood by gastric juice. Some stomach acid reaches the duodenum, so bleeding that occurs here will cause black, tarry, semi-liquid stools with an unpleasant odor. This type of stool is called melena.

Here are the possible causes of black stool from bleeding:

Inflammation in the stomach or duodenum (gastritis);
Erosion or ulcers due to alcohol, smoking, hot spices, infection with H(G)elicobacter pylori.
Cancer of the stomach or duodenum.
Varicose veins of the esophagus due to cirrhosis of the liver (more often in alcoholics), or portal hypertension.
Mallory-Weiss syndrome (rupture of the esophagus, often due to severe vomiting).
Inflammation of the duodenum (severe forms of celiac disease) (stomach acid can appear in the duodenum and change the color of the blood from red to black).
Small intestine: Meckel's diverticulum (a birth defect where part of the stomach lining forms in the small intestine as a pouch-like protrusion that produces acid and often bleeds).
Nose or paranasal sinuses: high blood pressure, tumors, injuries.
Mouth: tooth extraction, trauma.
Throat: severe inflammation, bleeding tonsils, throat cancer.
Lungs, bronchi, trachea: cancer, tuberculosis, less often severe pneumonia.
Spontaneous bleeding in the intestines due to thrombocytopenia, hemophilia, metastases and sepsis.

There are cases where black stool can be caused by bleeding in the lower digestive tract. If blood remains in the intestines for a long time, for example due to constipation, it has time to clot and therefore comes out in black stool.

Medicines

Various nutritional supplements and pharmaceutical drugs can cause black stools for several reasons. First, some substances in the medicine may be black in color, which will affect the stool by making it appear black.

Another possible reason is that these substances can cause bleeding in the intestines. However, it is not the drugs themselves that cause bleeding, but rather they can aggravate existing problems that lead to gastrointestinal bleeding.

These include the following substances:

Activated carbon.
Iron supplements - turn stool black or green (about the causes of green stool in an adult)
Bismuth salicylate (Pepto-Bismol, an anti-diarrheal drug).
Medicines that can cause stomach bleeding: aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Vanadium-containing products that are often used by bodybuilders.

Never stop taking your medication because of black stool that appears after you start taking it. But be sure to consult the doctor who prescribed this drug. Black stool may be harmless and will become normal after you stop taking the drug, but it can also be a symptom of a dangerous condition in the body that is life threatening.

Poisons

Toxic substances that enter the body can also cause blackened stools. Both with single poisoning and with repeated exposure to poison;

Lead;
Any substance that causes bleeding in the upper digestive tract.

Microbes

Black specks of stool the size of a grain may be a consequence of the accumulation of bacteria, which often appear in the small intestine during dysbacteriosis (dysbiosis). However, these are not always noticeable with a quick glance at the stool and most people probably do not notice them, since examining stool is not common practice.

Other

Although rare, black stool can happen simply due to its reaction with toilet water. Chemicals in stool can react with chemicals in the toilet water and turn black.

Another possible cause of black stool in women, although it is extremely rare - black or bloody discharge from the genitals. Perhaps this is vaginal bleeding - menstrual or intermenstrual. Black vaginal bleeding can occur if blood is retained and has time to clot before it is released. Such discharge can visually change the color of the stool in the toilet.

Black diarrhea

Black diarrhea can be caused by:

Medications/Supplements: antidiarrheal drug Pepto-Bismol, iron supplements;
Bleeding from the stomach or upper small intestine during diarrhea.

Important: Black feces are a reason to urgently consult a doctor.. Additional tests may be needed to determine the cause of black stool.

Normally, the color of stool can vary from yellow-brown to dark brown. Its color is given by digested food particles and bile pigments secreted into the intestines from the bile ducts with bile.

Black is often a sign of a serious pathology of the digestive system, but it is often associated with the use of certain foods and medications.

Food and medicine

Black stool can appear after eating a number of foods. These are red beets, prunes, red grapes, blueberries, pomegranate. A change in the color of stool can occur after eating dishes such as blood sausage and offal. Stool staining can be observed for two to three days, and this symptom is not accompanied by any other changes in the general condition.

Black stool is usually the result of taking pharmaceutical drugs containing iron, which are widely used to treat anemia, certain complex vitamins, drugs containing bismuth (used to treat chronic stomach diseases), and activated charcoal. A number of other drugs can also turn stool black, which can be found out by carefully reading the instructions included with the drug.

If black stool appears, you need to carefully analyze your diet over the past few days. As a result of taking foods and medications, there is no health hazard and does not require treatment. Within two to three days after eliminating the use of these foods and pharmaceuticals, the normal color of the stool is restored.

Medicines containing acetylsalicylic acid do not stain stool, but with prolonged use they affect the circulatory system and can cause black stool as a result of the development of internal bleeding.

Diseases accompanied by the appearance of black stool

It’s a completely different matter if black feces appeared suddenly and seemingly for no reason. If black feces appear, the causes of this symptom should be sought in the gastrointestinal tract. This clinical symptom indicates from the digestive tract, especially its upper parts. Black feces, also called melena, most often occur with peptic ulcers with localization of the ulcer in the stomach or duodenum, intestinal diseases, varicose veins of the esophagus, and stomach tumors. With a bleeding pathological focus located in the intestine below, the blood is usually red. However, with weak peristalsis, black stool can occur even with bleeding from the initial part of the colon.

The coloring of stool black occurs as a result of the fact that under the influence of hydrochloric acid contained in gastric juice, red hemoglobin in the blood is converted into black hemin.

With internal bleeding, in addition to black stool, other typical symptoms appear. When the process is localized in the stomach, bloody vomiting often appears. In this case, the vomit under the influence of gastric juice changes and takes on the appearance of: The patient experiences hypotension, dizziness, and general weakness. Upon examination, tachycardia, pallor of the skin and mucous membranes are revealed. With severe bleeding, acute vascular insufficiency syndrome develops, requiring emergency care.

The appearance of black feces, which is accompanied by general weakness, abdominal pain of varying nature and intensity, nausea, vomiting and fever, requires urgent medical consultation.