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“The tarry or stickiness of the stool and the smell are what differentiate true GI bleeding from other causes such as iron supplements, dark foods, and bismuth-containing medications,” he adds.
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.
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]
Blood may be observed in vomit or in altered form as black stool. Depending on the amount of the blood loss, symptoms may include shock. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding can be caused by peptic ulcers, gastric erosions, esophageal varices, and rarer causes such as gastric cancer.
Blood in your stool or black or tarry stool (which may indicate cancer higher up in the colon and is more common among women, according to Mongiu) Abdominal pain, aches or cramps
Other signs and symptoms include feeling tired, dizziness, and pale skin color. [18] A number of foods and medications can turn the stool either red or black in the absence of bleeding. [2] Bismuth found in many antacids may turn stools black as may activated charcoal. [2]
One of the less-known symptoms of celiac disease (an autoimmune condition in which the gluten proteins in wheat and other grains trigger an intestine-damaging immune response), is pale stool ...
Estrogens can be used to stop bleeding from angiodysplasia. Estrogens cause mild hypercoagulability of the blood. Estrogen side effects can be dangerous and unpleasant in both sexes. Changes in voice and breast swelling is bothersome in men, but older women often report improvement of libido and perimenopausal symptoms.