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What does a change in the color of my stool show? Why does my stool turn black? Is it influenced by our diet? Should any tests be performed? The question is answered by the drug. Paweł Żmuda-Trzebiatowski.
Why does my stool turn black?
Good day. For a long time, two weeks to be exact, I have had trouble with my stool, which turned black, I have regular bowel movements. I changed my diet, i.e. I introduced spinach and beetroot in every form in virtually every meal, I drink a lot of vegetable cocktails based on these vegetables, I also take dietary supplements that contain a large amount of iron.
What can it testify to black stool? Can black stool be affected by what we add to our meals? A friend told me that black stool can mean serious diseases, but I do not feel any other digestive problems, I do not vomit, I do not have a stomachache, I am not tired of nausea or vomiting. I regularly perform checkups in which there are no pathological changes.
Should I ask my GP for referral for ultrasound of the abdominal cavity? What are the diseases that cause black stools? I am asking for an answer as evidenced by the black stool?
Your doctor points out possible causes of black stool
Madam, causes of black stool color there may be many. Foods that we eat affect its color and consistency the most. Also, medications or dietary supplements can affect the color of your stools. Very often the cause of dark, even black stools are iron preparations used orally.
Most often this applies to iron-containing drugs, not dietary supplements, although consuming large amounts iron supplements stool color can also be caused by this. Unfortunately, these are not the only potential causes of your problem. It happens that the cause of the black color of the stool is bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, especially in the stomach.
Extravasated blood under the influence of hydrochloric acid turns black, which, while passing through the gastrointestinal tract, gives color to food debris and finally to the formed stool. Every bleeding in the digestive tract is a health or life-threatening condition, therefore its cause should be diagnosed quickly.
Examples of factors causing bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract include perforation of a gastric or duodenal ulcer, deficiencies of coagulation factors, tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract, and rupture of the stomach or esophagus wall. If bleeding occurs in the lower gastrointestinal tract, especially in the left colon, the stool color is normal but with an admixture of fresh blood. In this case, the most common causes are colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids, and diverticulitis.
Unfortunately, I am not able to diagnose the cause of your problem. It is very likely that the black color of your stools is due to the iron supplements you are taking, but I would recommend that you go to your GP and get some basic tests done. Abdominal ultrasound may be performed, but it is not an ideal test and you should take into account the fact that the result may be normal despite the presence of a possible disease.
– Lek. Paweł Żmuda-Trzebiatowski
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