lennemagdalene

· 27 Jan 2022

Follow Following

Why Is My Stool Black?

Have you ever gone to the washroom and, on looking at the toilet bowl, you realize the stool is abnormal? If yes, I am certain it was a stressful moment, and that’s okay. Most of the time, as human beings, when we experience something unusual, we get shocked even when there is nothing serious. One thing about black stools is that they mostly show a serious problem internally. It happens because of many conditions that are linked to gastric bleeding. Also, the food we eat plays a huge part in the color of poop we produce. Taking some types of medications could also change the color of the stool, making it tarry black. One important thing you should put in your mind is that every color of poop tells something about your general health. The following are the causes of black tarry stools:


Dark-Colored Foods. Diet plays a huge role in giving poop its color. This means that if you eat foods rich in dark colors, your poop will be likely to be dark. If you do not have any serious health problem such as bleeding of the gastrointestinal system, then the reason for black poop is the food you are consuming. Examples of foods that cause black stools are blueberries, dark chocolate, beetroots, grapes, etc. The best thing with dark color from foods is that it goes away once it clears the food from the system.


Some Types of Medications. Most of the medications we take to treat various health problems usually have side effects. Because they help us regain our normal functioning, they can lead to negative experiences such as black stools. For instance, drugs containing bismuth subsalicylate turn the stool black. The medication is used to treat diarrhea, heartburn, and some other symptoms of stomach upsets. Taking this drug for a long period may also turn your tongue and teeth black. This color disappears once you stop ingesting this medication. Apart from the mentioned side effects, bismuth also causes a ringing of the ears, and any moment you experience this, contact your doctor and stop the medication immediately.


Gastric Ulcers. Gastric ulcers are wounds that are within the gastrointestinal system. A variety of reasons can cause them, such as infections with the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). These open sores may not always cause serious problems but may produce symptoms like indigestion, heartburn, a burning sensation, and pain. If these wounds are not addressed on time, they can get worse and trigger bleeding. If you have bleeding in the stomach wall, for example, this blood remains in the stomach where it is mixed with food. Your blood contains red blood cells, which then contain hemoglobin. During digestion, the heme group part of the blood is digested, which causes you to have black tarry stools. In medical terms, these dark stools are known as melena. Gastric bleeding is a medical emergency and therefore you should consult your doctor immediately. Other factors that increase your risk of gastric ulcers are alcohol, H.pylori, and regular intake of NSAIDs.


Intake of Iron Supplements. People who have a reduced number of red blood cells in their system took iron supplements to boost their blood levels. Red blood cells are very key because they carry oxygen and transport it to the rest of the body. This means that if you have few red blood cells, you will not get enough oxygen to perfuse your cells and tissues. In return, this makes you unable to breathe well. You feel tired and weak, which denies you an opportunity to perform activities of daily living. To restore your red blood cells to a normal level, your doctor prescribes iron supplements. These supplements may restore your health but cause other negative side effects such as nausea, constipation, heartburn, and black stools. If these symptoms worsen, consult your doctor.


Mallory-Weiss Tear. This is not a common health problem, but this does not mean it does not occur in some people. Excess coughing or vomiting can exert a lot of pressure on the esophagus and make it rupture. Tearing of the esophagus is usually very painful and is usually accompanied by heavy bleeding. Once you bleed, this blood drops to your stomach, where it is digested with food. Also, this blood can clot within the stomach or intestines and therefore gives you black tarry stools. Other symptoms you may have with Mallory-Weiss tear include Bright red vomit (also called hematemesis) that looks like coffee grounds, general body weakness, pale skin, severe chest pain, difficulty in breathing, etc. Most often, these tears can heal on their own. In some people, they may get worse and make it difficult for you to swallow food properly. Such instances require medical attention for a proper diagnosis and treatment.


Esophageal Varices. The esophagus is a part of the digestive system. It performs a major role in carrying the food and liquids into the stomach. Just like other organs in your body, the esophagus is surrounded by many blood vessels. Sometimes these veins swell because of many factors, they can start bleeding, causing esophageal varices. The principal causes of this problem are alcohol consumption and advanced liver diseases. Inflammation of the esophagus makes it bleed, and that causes black stools. One important thing to remember is that, if you have liver disease and you notice black stools, consult a doctor before the situation gets worse. You should monitor warning signs which are: severe weight loss, jaundice (yellow discoloration on the skin and eyes), and muscle cramps. Your doctor may recommend intravenous treatment instead of oral medications to give your esophagus time to heal. A procedure known as endoscopy can also be helpful because it enables doctors to tie up the bleeding veins of the esophagus, closing them, which then promotes healing.


Gastric Cancer. Gastric is another term for stomach in medical terms. Gastric cancer is a very common type of cancer and results from a variety of reasons. One good example of a cause of gastric cancer is H.pylori infections. This infection affects the stomach mucosa by eradicating the mucus that shields your stomach from concentrated hydrochloric acid. Once this mucus is done away with, it exposes your sensitive stomach walls to acid corrosion. With time, the stomach walls get inflamed and would start developing. Without proper treatment, these wounds grow in size and make the cells lining the stomach walls change. This change then triggers the development of other harmful cells that are cancerous. Once gastric wounds get bigger, they bleed often, especially after eating an inconsiderable amount of food. This explains why people with stomach cancer usually have black stools almost daily. Would you like to know more facts about black stools? If yes, check here:
https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/black-tarry-stool-reasons
https://www.verywellhealth.com/causes-of-black-stool-1941711



Take Away

Black stools, in most cases, are a major concern that should be taken seriously. Many factors can cause it, such as eating too many dark foods, medications containing bismuth, gastric cancer, esophageal varices, and others. It may be difficult sometimes to tell how serious a condition especially if there are no other symptoms apart from black stools. To understand how severe your condition may be, try to look at other symptoms you are experiencing as well. These symptoms may include vomiting blood (hematemesis), nausea, rapid weight loss, abdominal pain, lack of appetite, chronic fatigue, pale skin, and others. It is also important to have a regular medical check-up as it enables doctors to spot when the disease is getting severe. If the cause of black stools is eating dark foods, then you can live normally with no health threat.