What is black callus in an adult a sign of? Why the feces are black, in which diseases the change in the color of the stool is a signal for an emergency medical attention.

Normal stool in an adult is always brown. The shade of the stool is due to the presence of stercobilin in it, which, together with bile, enters the duodenum. With various diseases, feces can change color from bright yellow to green. The color, smell and texture of feces reflect the general condition of the gastrointestinal tract. Black feces are always alarming and make you analyze the reasons that could cause this condition.

Food and drug causes

Why does stool turn black? What can this indicate? Factors in the occurrence of dark stools are very commonplace.

This may be due to the use of certain foods or a number of drugs that stain the stool in a dark color. If you stop using the coloring matter, then the color of the stool will return to normal after a few days.

Darkening of the feces can occur from eating prunes, beets, black currants, pomegranates, dark grapes, red wine, bloodweed, liver, tomatoes, and blueberries. Even concentrated coffee can stain the stool if you drink it in large quantities.

Dark-colored feces often occur when taking De-Nol, activated charcoal, multivitamins (Elevit Pronatal, Pregnavit) and iron preparations (Maltofer, Tardiferron, Fenyuls).

During the treatment of anemia with iron preparations, the doctor should warn the patient that, for example, black staining of feces may appear from Sorbifer or Maltofer tablets.

Most antibiotics (Ceftriaxone, Augmentin, Azithromycin) do not by themselves cause dark stools in an adult. More often, antibiotic-associated diarrhea occurs with the use of these drugs. However, very dark stools can occur after taking antibiotics such as Metronidazole or Levofloxacin.

Dark stools may be the result of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy. To identify this bacterium, a breath test, analysis of excrement by PCR and a urease test with FGDS are performed. Helicobacter pylori therapy includes proton pump inhibitors (omez), antibiotics, and bismuth compounds, which cause dark stools.

If you are not sure whether the drug can cause a change in fecal color in an adult, you need to clarify this fact in the instructions for the drug.

Blackening of the stool due to diseases

Bleeding from the esophagus, stomach, duodenum is a common cause of black liquid stool in an adult. Quite often, such a chair is accompanied by symptoms of anemia, which causes dizziness and pallor. Up to 200 causes of education (GIT) have been identified. Diseases that can cause them:

• stomach ulcer;
• cirrhosis of the liver;
• gastritis;
• hepatitis;
• stomach cancer;
• ulcerative lesions of the intestine (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis);
• varicose veins of the esophagus.

Bleeding from the vessels of the esophagus can occur in people who abuse alcohol. To exclude dangerous diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in medicine there are symptoms of "red flags":

• rapid weight loss;
• persistent severe pain in the abdomen;
• the onset of the disease in an elderly person;
• temperature;
• leukocytosis and an increase in ESR in the blood test;
• anemia;
• deterioration of blood biochemical parameters (AST, ALT, bilirubin, protein, and others).

These manifestations, combined with dark feces, are a reason to immediately consult with your doctor! For a long time taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, aAspirin), it is necessary to periodically conduct fibrogastroduodenoscopy in order to detect the formation of ulcers of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum in time.

Types of black feces

The stool may be completely black or have dark inclusions such as strings and black dots (large like a grain or smaller like sand). Several types of dark feces should be singled out separately.

Tar-like stools (melena) are very dark liquid stools that occur when bleeding from the upper GI tract. The stomach is the most common site of bleeding. There, the blood under the action of hydrochloric acid acquires a black color. At the same time, the liquid stool turns coal-colored, becomes sticky and fetid.

With bleeding from the lower gastrointestinal tract (hemorrhoids, anal fissure), the feces will not take the form of melena, and the main symptom will be streaks of scarlet blood on brown feces.

Black dots in the stool in an adult may look like grains or be in the form of grains of sand. Arise due to the use of berries with small grains (blackberries, mulberries).

Black-green stools may appear with poisoning. At the same time, the temperature rises, and signs of intoxication appear. It can be observed or undigested food particles.

Dark feces after surgery can occur during surgical interventions in the esophagus, stomach and intestines. If black stools appear after other operations, this may indicate internal bleeding. Black strings in bowel movements may be the result of eating bananas. Such sticks disappear from human feces after 2-3 days.

Black feces after alcohol occurs as a result of bleeding from damaged veins of the esophagus. This is observed after severe vomiting (Mallory-Weiss syndrome). This syndrome is more common in men. The formation of hematemesis or melena after alcohol is a medical emergency.

Dark stool due to constipation

Constipation is more common in women, bedridden patients and the elderly due to a decrease in intestinal tone. They can also occur with malnutrition, when taking medications and after removal of the gallbladder. With constipation, the stool becomes hard, dry, and dark, as the time for water absorption in the gastrointestinal tract increases. If at the same time there is mucus on the feces, this is a sign of an inflammatory disease of the sigmoid or rectum.

The reasons for the appearance can be: delayed, difficult defecation, taking multivitamin preparations and iron compounds.

If constipation continues for a long time, it can provoke the appearance of an anal fissure. In this case, scarlet blood may appear in the stool or on toilet paper.

Additional examination methods

What to do if a black stool appeared without an objective reason? If you are sure that the reason for the change in the color of the feces is not in food or the use of drugs, then you need to consult a doctor. To determine the causes and treatment, the following tests are prescribed:

• Coprogram. With the naked eye, the color of the stool, mucus and pieces of undigested food are assessed. Small inclusions in the stool, such as villi or strings, may also be detected. This method allows you to detect altered red blood cells in the stool using microscopic examination - a sign of bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract.
• Stool analysis for the dysenteric group with the determination of sensitivity to antibiotics. If black or dark green feces appear, diarrhea, fever and stomach ache - these are symptoms of an infectious disease (shigellosis, salmonellosis).
• Analysis of stool for occult blood (Gregersen test or IHA). Assign with a normal shade of stool, if there is a sign of internal bleeding. A week before the test, you must follow a special diet, which means eliminating meat, liver, fish and tomatoes. Avoid the use of oral medications (bismuth, iron preparations). Do not brush your teeth 3 days before the analysis.
• General blood test with leukocyte formula. Tar-like feces indicate heavy bleeding, which is accompanied by clinical signs of anemia (pallor, shortness of breath) and changes in the blood test: the level of hemoglobin and hematocrit becomes less than normal.

Dark stool is not always a sign of any disease. But this symptom cannot be ignored. In an adult, the causes can vary widely: from completely harmless to life-threatening for the patient. Treatment with folk remedies is often used in the treatment of diseases of the stomach (gastritis, ulcers) and liver. However, in the presence of complications (especially bleeding), the patient should be treated with medication or even surgical methods.

Staining feces black does not always become a dangerous symptom, although normally the stool of a healthy person has a brown color of various shades. Almost every person notices the slightest changes in the color and consistency of feces, because he knows the features of his own stool.

The brown color of the feces is due to the fact that they contain particles of undigested food eaten during the last 2-3 days, and bile that participated in the processing of the food bolus.

Possible causes of black feces can be pathologies of the stomach and intestines, complications of serious diseases.

What to do if an adult or child has black stools:

Analyze a set of foods eaten over the past few days;

For several days, observe changes in the color, consistency and frequency of the stool.

The list of products should include all drinks, vitamins, and medicines taken by a person. If the reason for the discoloration of feces is certain foods or medicines, you should not be afraid that negative changes have occurred in the body.

It could be:

• Grape,

  Prunes,

  Activated carbon,

  Medicines containing iron.

It is important to carefully study the instructions for using the medicine in order to anticipate such a side effect as a black tint of feces.

If the set of foods used has not changed recently, and there was no need to take medication, if black stool appears, you should immediately seek medical help. A possible reason for such changes is that has arisen due to the use of drugs that reduce blood clotting. They do not change the color of feces, but provoke bleeding in the digestive tract, which is extremely dangerous if the patient is not provided with medical care in a timely manner.

If the normal color of feces changes to black due to the alleged use of fecal-staining foods or drugs, it is worth watching your stool. If, after removing the product from the diet or withdrawing the drug, the color of the feces returned to normal after a few days, you can not be afraid of pathological changes in the body.

If after these events changes in the color of the stool are periodically observed, and its consistency becomes liquid, an examination should be carried out to determine the cause of such changes.

General symptoms in the presence of black stools

A person whose stool has changed color may change appearance, mood and well-being. Looking from the side at an adult or child with such a symptom, it is easy to see whether his appearance has remained the same or has become painful. The absence of discomfort and good health against the background of the use of certain foods or drugs that provoke the appearance of a black tint of feces confirms the norm of the state of health.

The following manifestations indicate that the patient needs the help of a doctor:

Ankylostomiasis,

Histoplasmosis.

When bleeding in the lower intestines, the blood does not undergo transformation and enters the feces, retaining its red color. With weak intestinal peristalsis, blood from the source of bleeding, even located at the beginning of the colon, stains the feces black. In this case, the hemoglobin of the blood is processed into hemin, which has a dark color.

If black stools appear immediately after surgery, dark stools indicate internal bleeding and the need for immediate medical attention. If there is a black color of the stool in combination with an elevated body temperature, the symptoms indicate a possible intestinal infection and the need for the intervention of an infectious disease specialist.

Pregnancy is not a reason for a change in the color of the stool and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, therefore, a similar symptom of a change in the color of the stool in a woman who is expecting a child has the same reasons as in the normal state.

What to do if black feces appear in children?

Serious pathologies, the symptom of which may be internal bleeding and a dark shade of feces, are very rare in children. When black feces appear in a child, parents should pay attention to the children's diet and the products that fill it.

The original feces, or meconium, excreted in newborns is very dark in color. This is a natural phenomenon, so do not worry when it occurs. After 2-3 days, the child's stool becomes light yellow against the background of breastfeeding, it has a liquid consistency.

Feeding infants formula milk with vitamins and iron supplements can darken stools. If the baby has a normal appetite, he is not naughty, sleeps peacefully, the dark shade of feces will not harm the child's body. When joining the temperature, restless behavior and other negative symptoms, you should consult a doctor, regardless of the age of the children.

If feces that are atypical in color and consistency appear in a child, you should contact a pediatrician to determine the tactics of treatment and diagnose the cause of the pathology. Symptoms such as pain syndrome, high fever in a child against the background of black feces are a reason to call an emergency ambulance. They indicate poisoning or internal bleeding, therefore, the sooner professional medical care is provided, the better the future prognosis of the child's condition.

Education: Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry (1996). In 2003 he received a diploma from the educational and scientific medical center for the administration of the President of the Russian Federation.

Black feces can appear both from harmless causes, and become the result of dangerous processes in the body that require immediate treatment. Normally, human stool should be brownish-yellow or dark brown in color. These shades are due to the admixture of bile in the excrement.

There are many reasons why black feces are suddenly observed in a person. The most common are the use of products, including prunes, taking certain medications and bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. Often this feature of the discharge is observed in pregnant women - this is due to the fact that vitamins or nutrients do not enter the body in large quantities.

In rare cases, black stool is a serious symptom, upon detection of which you should immediately consult a doctor, because in medicine there are a number of chronic disorders in which such a change in the shade of discharge appears.

Etiology

There are several groups of reasons why black feces occur. The so-called harmless factors include food or drinks that stain the bowel movements in a dark color. If you refrain from taking them for several days, the discharge will take on a normal color. These products include:

• prunes;
• pomegranate and blackcurrant;
• blueberries and dark grapes;
• blood and liver;
• tomatoes and beets;
• juices from listed fruits and vegetables;
• high-calorie meals;
• strong black tea and coffee.

The second group of factors are medicines:

• black activated carbon;
• medicines containing a large amount of iron;
• vitamin complexes;
• heartburn remedies;
• some anti-inflammatory drugs.

The instructions for medicines usually indicate that they can lead to a change in the color of feces. This means that before using it, you need to familiarize yourself with it and with side effects, and if this is a problem, you can not consult a doctor - after completing the course of treatment, the feces will become their normal color. But if during therapy the black stool has a liquid consistency, you should immediately contact a specialist for help.

Sometimes black stools are the first symptom of serious illnesses, such as:

• internal bleeding;
• the formation of ulcers;
• oncological neoplasms;
• expansion of the veins in the esophagus;
• , localized in the large intestine;
• and ankylostomiasis;
• lymphoblastic leukemia.

Often, black feces occur in a child, but unlike adults, in very rare cases it is a sign of a disease. Basically, the reasons for the appearance are what foods were given to the child to eat the day before. These include some fruits and vegetables, as well as prunes. All parents are afraid of the color and consistency of the stool in a newly born baby (in the first few days of life), since the first feces of the child are meconium, most often of a liquid consistency and black, but this is quite normal. But it will take a little time and the discharge will take on a light brown hue.

If an older child has black feces, parents should not panic, but you need to remember what foods he ate or what drugs he took. If the child is healthy and mobile, then you should not worry, but in the case when weakness, nausea and intense pain in the abdomen also appear, it should be shown to the doctor. It must be remembered that in a child, pathological processes develop much faster than in adults.

Most often, black feces occur during pregnancy, as women try to take more vitamins, iron-containing preparations, and eat rationally, that is, eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and prunes, which will also lead to the color of feces. This means that if such a feature is not accompanied by a deterioration in health, there is no reason to worry about the course of pregnancy and the health of the child.

Symptoms

The appearance of black feces, if the causes are food, prunes or medications, is not accompanied by specific symptoms. But if additional symptoms appear, you should not delay visiting a medical facility. These include:

• nausea and vomiting, and the vomit will have a dark or red color;
• general weakness of the body;
• increase in body temperature;
• acute and intense pain in the abdomen;
• the appearance of bleeding from the anus;
• dyspnea;
• change in heart rate;
• loss of consciousness is extremely rare and only in a child.

Diagnostics

It is necessary to undergo diagnostics when black feces are found only if you yourself could not find out why the color of the feces changed, and additional symptoms indicated above appeared. Then the patient needs to urgently conduct examinations of the internal organs of the gastrointestinal tract using CT, MRI, swallowing a probe with a camera at the end, radiography, and should also be taken. These methods will help determine what pathological processes occur in the body and identify internal bleeding.

If the reason for the darkening of the feces was the high calorie content of dishes, fruits, vegetables, prunes or drugs, it is necessary to refrain from eating them for several days, and the discharge will take on a normal color.

Treatment

Before carrying out therapy, it is necessary to determine why the stool has become black. If harmless circumstances led to this, there is no need for therapy. But you should not completely exclude such foods, fruits, prunes and vegetables from the diet - you just need to reduce their number and monitor the calorie content of food consumed per day. Then the color of feces will gradually return to normal. Medicines should be treated the same way. Changing the color of the discharge in these cases does not pose a threat to the health of the child or adult.

In the case when the darkening of the feces was caused by the internal processes of the body and bleeding, it is necessary to immediately call an ambulance, especially if the child was injured, and go to a medical facility as soon as possible. If the child's condition worsened before the arrival of doctors, it is necessary to provide him with peace, not to give food and drink (the exception is purified cold water). In any case, the doctor may prescribe two methods of treatment, depending on the factors of occurrence - surgery or medication. With any therapy, it is necessary to adhere to a diet with low-calorie foods and to observe bed rest.

Prevention

Prevention of the appearance of black feces consists of:

• eating small amounts of foods such as black pudding, grapes, prunes, blueberries, tea and coffee, as well as medicines that can color the discharge;
• observing a balanced diet - dishes should not be high in calories;
• at the first symptoms of a violation of the functioning of the digestive tract, seek the advice of specialists. This should be done as soon as possible if this feature of the color of feces was found in children, because pathological processes in a child's body proceed much faster than in an adult;
• regular visits by a pregnant woman;
• undergoing an examination at the clinic at least twice a year.

Is it necessary to sound the alarm if you find yourself in the presence of black feces? Let's look into this issue. We will talk about why feces can be black, and in which cases it is necessary to consult a doctor.

Where does black stool come from

The color and smell of stool can tell you a lot about your health. All shades of brown are considered normal. But stool can come in a variety of colors, from all shades of brown and yellow to white, green, and even black.

There are two main causes of black stools. First, it can be caused by eating dark colored foods. Secondly, black feces can indicate the presence of blood in the stool. If your stool resembles tar, this is a sign of bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. This condition is called melena and is a medical emergency. Let us consider in more detail the main causes of black feces.

1. Dark colored products

If the color of the food you eat is dark, the chances of seeing black stools are quite high. The list of these products can include:

• Licorice or licorice
• Blueberries
• Baking with dark chocolate
• fruit punch
• blood sausage
• Prunes
• Beets
• cranberries

2. Dietary supplements containing iron, and some drugs

You may have black stools if you take iron supplements. For this reason, pregnant women (who take iron pills and prenatal vitamins) and people with anemia (who take iron supplements) may have black stools.

Another cause of black feces is taking certain medications, such as anticoagulants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, drugs containing bismuth.

3. Gastric and duodenal ulcer or peptic ulcer

Gastric and duodenal ulcers are a common problem. It occurs on the lining of the stomach and small intestine, and can be caused by bacteria, alcohol abuse, smoking, or frequent use of certain medications. The main cause of melena, as studies show, is most often a peptic ulcer.

4. Gastritis

Gastritis is a painful condition in which the lining of the stomach becomes inflamed. Without treatment, the inflammation can last for years, causing pain and discomfort in the stomach area. Black feces are a typical symptom of erosive gastritis, a type of gastritis in which erosions form on the gastric mucosa.

5. Varicose veins of the esophagus

Tar-like feces can be a symptom of esophageal varicose veins. If the outflow of blood from the veins of the esophagus is disturbed, they are deformed - they expand and protrude - and can be damaged. There is bleeding from them, which can be both insignificant and massive. Acute bleeding is manifested by black liquid feces, which, as mentioned above, is called melena.

6. Cancer

Sometimes the cause of the appearance of black feces can be malignant tumors. These tumors are usually found in the esophagus and stomach.

Symptoms to watch out for with black stools:

• Pain in the epigastric region
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Heat
• Pain during bowel movements
• Weight loss.

If your stool color suddenly changes and you haven't eaten dark-colored foods or iron supplements, see your doctor right away. In this case, it is caused by a medical problem that, if left untreated, can have serious consequences.

Sometimes it happens that a person’s feces do not turn into standard brown shades, but become deep black. This change may not be noticed by many people, but the most attentive notice it and begin to worry. We hasten to note that anxiety is justified, since sometimes black feces indicate the presence of various pathological processes in the body. However, this is not at all necessary, sometimes drugs taken earlier by a person can give such a non-standard color to the stool masses. In this material, we will take a closer look at why black feces form in a person, and what color of feces is normal.

Many people, when asked by a doctor about the color of their feces, are often embarrassed and answer that they do not consider their own bowel movements. Society has set its own rules, making everything related to human natural fluids and other masses indecent. However, experts do not ask the desired question out of idle curiosity. In fact, with the help of the characteristics of feces, many different conclusions can be drawn about the state of the human gastrointestinal tract, as well as other organs of the body.

Attention should be paid to the following parameters of bowel movements:

• color;
• form;
• consistency.

Normally, all these three parameters can be very diverse, because they are influenced by a great many different factors.

The standard shade of stool in an adult person can vary from a yellowish-brown hue to brown and almost brown. However, the color of feces, including, is directly dependent on the food eaten by a person for several days preceding the moment of consideration of the masses.

In addition, it affects the shade and function of the gallbladder. So, if for any reason a constant outflow of bile is disturbed in the body, the stool will be several times lighter than usual.

As for the panic about black, it must be said that many people sometimes invent unnecessary problems for themselves. In fact, sometimes the stool turns dark brown, and this is completely normal, however, due to poor lighting in the bathroom or a particularly violent fantasy of the patient, it may appear black.

If you're unsure if your stool color is normal and you think it's black, use the following instructions for a more accurate check. We will warn you right away that there is little pleasant in it, but remember, feces are a natural element produced by the human body, and there is nothing disgusting in their study. Particularly sensitive citizens may choose to wear a mask or fill their nostrils with cotton so they don't smell. However, it is better to carry out the study with gloves, so as not to accidentally stain your hands and then the surrounding household items.

So, let's look at the instructions.

Step 1 - Prepare Inventory

To examine the feces in detail to determine their exact shade, prepare the following items:

• a sheet of white paper, best suited for printing, since notebook sheets or notebook pages most often do not match in shade;
• gloves that you will wear for hygiene;
• a stick with a spatulate end or an unnecessary spatula;
• if you wish, you can take an apron or other protective clothing so as not to get dirty.

Step number 2 - we get the feces

Of course, it is best to defecate in a jar for the sake of research, however, this is hardly possible, therefore, it is necessary to get a small amount of feces defecated into the toilet. No need to get large pieces, for this study you will need really a little material.

Step number 3 - put feces on paper

Next, you need to put the collected feces on a white sheet of paper. Using the spatula that was used to remove the feces, spread the mass over the surface of the sheet, distributing it evenly. Now take a close look at your results. On a white sheet, the color of the stool will be clearly visible.

Note! It is important to distribute the feces evenly on the sheet so that in some places it does not clump and appear darker than it actually is. If you have taken an excess of biological material, it is better to discard the excess in order to maintain the purity of the experiment.

Now you can understand if the stool seemed black to you. Distributed on paper, it will not lose its color if it was really charcoal in the first place. If you find that you initially correctly noted the color of the chair, proceed to reading the next section of the article.

Reasons for staining human feces black

The reasons for changing the shade of feces have a different etiology. If you find yourself in such a deviation from the norm, you need to think carefully about each of them in order to exclude pathological processes. If there is no clue, you will have to undergo a medical examination.

Coloring products

First of all, try to remember what kind of food you have eaten over the past three days. There is a specific list of products due to which the stool can turn black. This process is completely natural, since the pigment was not formed as a reaction to any unfavorable process in the body, but simply excreted with the remnants of the consumed products.

Such food includes:

• prunes;
• beet;
• colored wine;
• liver;
• chokeberry;
• blueberry;
• black currant;
• red grapes.

In large quantities, these plant foods that you eat can easily color your bowel movements. If you eat a small amount of beetroot, the feces are more likely to be red or crimson, which also sometimes scares people who think it is blood. However, in large quantities, the consumed vegetable turns the stool not into a pink, but a black mass.

The same applies to prunes. This very useful product not only cleanses the digestive tract, but also supplies the body with a large amount of useful vitamins. However, if you overeat it, you can get black stools.

Red grapes can also cause unexpected coloring of feces, which many people do not know. Therefore, if you have not eaten beets or prunes, try to remember if you did not eat red grapes in large quantities.

As for berries like chokeberry and blueberry, you can tell by their very name that they can darken your stools, while at the same time staining your mouth, tongue and hands in wine colors. There is nothing wrong with having a one-time taste of these vegetable goodies in large quantities. If the stools from them turn black, there will be nothing to worry about.

As for wine, dyes are added to some of its varieties to improve the color, which, like all substances that are not absorbed by the body, are excreted from it through the intestines. In addition, some wines contain an increased concentration of stone fruit. As a result of drinking such a drink, blackening of stools is almost guaranteed.

The presented list of products is far from complete, however, it is the items listed in it that are most likely to cause you anxiety by painting the chair black.

However, a similar effect can also be observed from other elements of the daily diet of a modern person, for example, from sweets dyed with black food pigment, coffee and other items.

If you still ate the previously mentioned foods, and three days have not passed since they were eaten, most likely you have nothing to worry about. The plan of action in this situation is as follows:

• exclude the desired products from the diet;
• wait about 5 days, during which observe the color of the masses coming out during defecation.

If, after the expiration of the specified period, the feces remain true to the acquired shade, it will be necessary to look for another reason for the trouble.

Medications

The second reason for acquiring black stools can be medications that a person takes.

First of all, we are talking about drugs that stop anemia - anemia, as a result of which the number of red blood cells in the blood is seriously reduced. To fight this pathology, a person must take drugs containing iron, which the body can absorb. Most often, domestic doctors recommend such medicines as:

• "Sorbifer Durules";
• "Ferrum-lek";
• "Aktiferrin";
• "Maltofer"
• other similar drugs.

Why does feces turn black when iron is taken? The thing is that when taken orally, iron in the body begins to undergo a series of biochemical transformations in order to be absorbed by the body as a result. As a result of these transformations, it is oxidized and becomes the so-called hemin - a substance that has a black color. The desired iron compound ultimately settles inside the intestinal lumen, and when fecal masses are formed, during the act of defecation, the substance is mixed with the stool. This happens so actively that, as a result, the entire stool is "soaked" in black.

Not only do the drugs in question give the stool a black tint, they also affect the occurrence of a specific smell from the stool. However, there is nothing to be afraid of, since in this case, all changes associated with feces are an absolutely normal physiological reaction of your body. Therefore, do not stop taking medication, or start taking additional drugs due to black stools in this case. Once you stop taking the iron, the stool will clear up and return to normal color after a while.

A similar effect on the color of feces can have ordinary activated charcoal, completely harmless to our body. Usually, its intake is associated with poisoning, however, many today use it to cleanse the body of toxins. According to the instructions for the drug, it is supposed to be used in the following proportion: one tablet is drunk per ten kilograms of human body weight. In other words, if your weight is about 60 kilograms, therefore, you need to drink six tablets, if 65 - six and a half tablets.

It is not surprising that after consuming this amount of coal, you will see black feces in the toilet bowl. This is also completely natural and normal, because coal is excreted from your body, at the same time taking with it toxins and other harmful substances, getting into the feces.

Another category of drugs that provoke the appearance of black stools are drugs that contain bismuth, a heavy metal that is prescribed to people who have problems with the occurrence of various ulcers and erosions inside the gastrointestinal tract. In an oxidizing environment, it forms a protective film on the canvas of damaged tissue, which helps in scarring ulcers, and at the same time protects the mucous membranes from aggressive fluids produced in the gastrointestinal tract.

Most often, patients who are shown to use bismuth take the following medications:

• "Bismofalk".

As a result of a series of biochemical transformations inside the body, as in the case of iron-containing preparations, the residual bismuth compounds are oxidized, acquiring a black tint. This mass is excreted in the same way with feces, therefore, in this case there is no reason to panic.

If you suspect that there may be reasons unrelated to taking the listed drugs, due to which your stool has become black, in no case should you stop taking the medication yourself. Only a doctor who monitors the course of your illness from the very beginning can change the treatment regimen.

Self-made decisions can have an extremely negative impact on your life, while entailing consequences much more serious than black feces. So, for example, the abolition of taking drugs containing bismuth leads to the fact that ulcers begin to hurt and bleed again, but it will be quite difficult for the body to stop these consequences again.

Bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract

The next category of reasons for staining feces in a black tint already refers to pathological processes. If you have not eaten stool-coloring foods, and do not drink the drugs listed above, then it is quite possible that bleeding has opened inside your gastrointestinal tract.

There is also a special name "melena", referring to the black stool formed as a result of bleeding from:

• stomach;
• esophagus.

In the first case, it can be provoked by such pathological processes in the body as:

• open, bleeding ulcer;
• cancerous processes within the body.

The esophagus can also bleed for a variety of reasons, such as:

• blood can come from dilated varicose veins inside the esophagus;
• due to the banal injury of this organ;
• after the formation of a longitudinal rupture of the mucosa of the organ, which occurred as a result of the urge to vomit or in the process of spitting out the contents of the stomach, the so-called "Melory-Weiss" syndrome.

Usually, the occurrence of melena is accompanied by other symptoms, with the help of which it becomes possible to determine whether your guess is correct about the etiology of the charcoal color of the feces. These include symptoms such as:

• pain in the epigastric region, located directly under the xiphoid process;
• constant weakness and apathy of the patient is also an important signal;
• also accompanied by melena nausea, turning into vomiting.

The vomit coming out of the patient is also painted in a dark color, more coffee than black, and often their consistency also corresponds to the thick left after drinking coffee.

However, when bleeding inside the stomach or intestines is small, its presence can be determined precisely by the black tint of the outgoing stool.

Sometimes the feces acquire the desired shade due to the intake of medicines, which by themselves do not stain it in the color of interest to us, however, they affect the opening or intensification of bleeding in the elements of the system that serves to digest food.

These drugs are called "antiplatelet agents". They are intended to prevent the formation of blood clots, preventing blood clotting, as a result of which these deadly elements are formed. This group includes such well-known drugs as:

• "Aspirin";
• "Cardiomagnyl".

"Aspirin"

In addition, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can have the same effect, for example:

• "Ibuprofen";
• other drugs of similar action.

Most often, the listed medications provoke bleeding of ulcers formed on the walls:

• inside the stomach;
• or 12 duodenal ulcer.

In the case of the possible occurrence of the thought that the stool has changed its shade after the bleeding has opened, it is necessary to immediately go to an appointment with your doctor. It is quite possible that the pathological process is progressing, and it will be possible to cope with it only in a situation where you managed to catch yourself in time.

Table 1 Causes of black stools

Eating a lot of coloring foods	Taking specific medications	Causes associated with gastrointestinal diseases
prunes; beet; colored wine; blood sausage and other products with an admixture of blood; liver; chokeberry; blueberry; black currant; red grapes.	Taking iron supplements: "Sorbifer Durules"; "Ferrum-lek"; "Aktiferrin"; and a similar effect of the drug. Taking bismuth-containing drugs: "Bismofalk"; similar medicines. Taking adsorbent drugs: "Activated carbon".	Bleeding in the esophagus: longitudinal gap; varicose veins; injury. Bleeding inside the stomach: ulcer. Bleeding in the intestines: erosion; ulcers; other pathological processes.

Video - Black feces in an adult: causes

How to determine the nature of the staining of bowel movements in a dark color

To understand what reason was the reason for changing the shade of the stool, it is necessary to track some of the most important aspects of one's own condition. This should be done calmly, best of all alone. Remember the most important thing: do not invent additional symptoms for yourself. If you find any manifestation from the list below, do not rush to panic, pull yourself together, analyze your own condition and go to the doctor.

First of all, you need to track the general condition. In the event that the cause of the appearance of a coal-colored stool was bleeding inside the gastrointestinal tract, you should certainly show symptoms associated with the loss of some amount of blood, such as:

• weakness;
• pale shade of the skin;
• lethargy;
• drowsiness;
• cool clammy sweat;
• discomfort in the epigastric region.

When the reason for the manifestation of a black tint was the use of specific coloring nutrients or the ingestion of medications, the general well-being will remain at the usual level for you. If this is your case, try to study the composition and purpose of the medications you are taking. Finding iron, bismuth, and toxin-absorbing coal in them, calm down and stop panicking: the bases for staining the stool are absolutely natural, no harm has been done to the body. As for food, if it became the cause of the blackening of the stool, exclude the coloring elements from your own menu and wait 4-5 days. Soon the normal color of the feces will be restored.

Sometimes it happens that the causes of the appearance of a coal-colored stool are mixed together. For example, you have a small bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, and at the same time you were taking drugs for an ulcer in the duodenum. If the course of the drug is over, and the color of the feces has not changed, you will have to seek help from a doctor, as this means that you may need an additional stage of treatment.

What are the symptoms of black stools?

Sometimes black feces are accompanied by some other manifestations and features, which people also often pay attention to and begin to panic.

For example, many doctors receive the following complaint: "Doctor, I have black feces with large inclusions." After a medical interview, it turns out that the patient consumed a large amount of red grapes directly with seeds, which, in fact, turned out to be the desired inclusions. Such lumps can also occur without black feces, for example, after eating other berries with small seeds. The same can be said about grains, such as flax, which for the sake of good many people eat raw with spoons. However, they forget an important fact: if the grains are not ground, chewed or soaked beforehand, our digestive system may not be able to digest them, and they will pass through the anus in a completely natural way, frightening people who find this impurity in their own feces.

Bleeding that has opened inside any constituent element of the gastrointestinal tract is most often accompanied by the release of charcoal-colored stools, but not of a dense, but of a liquid consistency. Gastric juices and other digestive fluids secreted by our organs turn the red color of the blood that enters the feces into black, contributing to the staining of the stool in this unusual shade. If bleeding opens in the large intestine, the feces will not be black, but pink-red, jelly-like.

Coal stools, interspersed with blood secretions, can occur with various pathological processes that occur inside the colon. Seeing such a picture in the toilet, immediately seek qualified help from a doctor.

After the operation, the stool can also acquire a shade of interest to us, however, this will still be a negative symptom. It usually manifests itself after the operation on:

• stomach
• esophagus
• upper intestines.

Dark green stools are often accompanied by elevated body temperature. Both of these symptoms indicate the occurrence of various processes of infectious etiology inside the intestine, which must be treated in a hospital setting.

Why does pregnant feces turn black

Very often, pregnant women observe an unusual color change in their stool and begin to panic. It should be noted that this panic as a whole is quite justified, since, despite the fact that an interesting position and subsequent births have some effect on the peristalsis of the intestinal system, however, they do not affect the shade of the stool.

For women in position, all the same reasons are relevant as for other adults. However, most often fears turn out to be groundless, since modern ladies often suffer from anemia, therefore, during pregnancy they constantly use iron supplements. Hence the unusual color of feces.

Black feces in children

Babies can also defecate in black-colored masses, and this event potentially occurs already within the first days after birth.

The fact is that after birth, the child defecates the so-called meconium - a mass that has a very different color: both yellow and green, and even so dark that it may seem black. However, by the third day of the existence of the baby, after acts of defecation, masses of standard colors are observed. Depending on which nutrient will become the basis of the child's diet, a specific shade is also formed. Typically, the gamma starts from a light yellow hue and ends in a dark green, mustard color. The consistency is usually liquid.

When children get a little older, their bowel movements may darken due to:

• nutrition mixtures;
• eating cow's milk (unacceptable immediately before reaching two years);
• when using drugs with colibacterin.

However, in these situations, the stool becomes not coal, but brown, and may only seem darker than it really is.

To determine the exact color of your child's bowel movements, you will need to perform the test described earlier in this resource. To carry it out, you need to prepare:

• paper;
• gloves;
• stick;
• protective clothing.

Apply the mass evenly on the sheet and see what color it is. If you find black, remember if the child showed the following symptoms:

• anxiety;
• poor appetite.

If the answer is positive, you should immediately go to the hospital, because at an early age, children also experience various pathological processes inside the gastrointestinal tract.

Blood oozing from the damaged mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract in the early stages may not lead to dangerous consequences, however, as a result, this process provokes anemia and progresses.

Summing up

Black feces have always scared people, since such a shade is a deviation from the norm. This is true, however, the deviation is not always caused by any pathological processes. You may have simply overindulged on food that stains, or you may be taking medication that stains bowel movements as prescribed by your doctor.

A visit to the hospital should be carried out immediately if no favorable reasons for a change in the color of the stool have been found. You should be especially careful if a bowel movement with a black substance is accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting, weakness, dizziness, or fever.

If your relatives have a history of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, serious and not so, if this formidable symptom is detected, it is better to immediately contact a specialist to find out the causes and determine a further plan of action.