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Melena is a form of blood in stool which refers to the dark black, tarry feces that are commonly associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. [1] The black color and characteristic strong odor are caused by hemoglobin in the blood being altered by digestive enzymes and intestinal bacteria. [2]
Blood in stool looks different depending on how early it enters the digestive tract—and thus how much digestive action it has been exposed to—and how much there is. The term can refer either to melena, with a black appearance, typically originating from upper gastrointestinal bleeding; or to hematochezia, with a red color, typically originating from lower gastrointestinal bleeding. [6]
The history in these patients should focus on factors that could be associated with potential causes: blood coating the stool suggests hemorrhoidal bleeding while blood mixed in the stool implies a more proximal source; bloody diarrhea and tenesmus is associated with inflammatory bowel disease while bloody diarrhea with fever and abdominal pain ...
When black poop happens, family practitioners like Christine Traxler, MD, and pediatricians like Alison Mitzner, MD, are often the first ones their patients call. Just because your stool happens ...
Along with smelly stool, other symptoms include watery stool, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and abnormal heartbeat, per the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. 8. You have cancer.
Problems as simple as serious diarrhea may cause blood in one's stool. Black stools caused by the presence of blood usually indicate a problem in the intestines (the black color is a sign of digested blood), whereas red streaks of blood in stool usually are caused by bleeding in the rectum or anus.
If pale or clay-colored stool (or acholic stool as your doctor might refer to it) is the result of a serious health issue, there are usually other symptoms. Here are some of the reasons you might ...
Rapid bleeding may cause syncope. [18] The presence of bright red blood in stool, known as hematochezia, typically indicates lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Digested blood from the upper gastrointestinal tract may appear black rather than red, resulting in "coffee ground" vomit or melena. [2]