Black Stool – Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Black stool might not always be a big health problem. A black stool can be because of many things, iron supplements being one of them. The black stool symptoms, in this case, include stool that is either dark red or black in color. It can also occur due to bleeding because of injuries or other mild problems in the gastrointestinal tract. Even though these conditions are not particularly serious, urgent medical attention is required.

What are the general causes of black stool?

• Black stool symptoms can also be a result of eating a lot of iron supplements.
• Another reason for black stools could be ulcers or any other form of injuries or irritation in the stomach or the esophagus. It could also be a result of gastritis. One of the black stool symptoms is that the stool is tarry in appearance. It happens when blood mixes with digestive fluids.
• Black stool could also be a result of you taking certain medications. As it has already been mentioned in this article, taking iron supplements could lead to black stool symptoms. Another ingredient that can cause this is bismuth. Bismuth-based medications can also cause black stools.

Which medical ailments cause black stool symptoms?

• Sometimes serious medical conditions such as bowel ischemia, vascular malformation, and varices, which can cause trouble and abnormalities in your digestive system, can also be the causes of black stool.
• If the stool is more red and bloody than black, it could be because of bleeding in the lower half of your digestive system.
• In some serious cases, the blood in the stool could be cancerous. You should consult a doctor as soon as you see blood in your stool.
• Another common, though not so serious, cause of blood in stool is hemorrhoids or swollen veins housed in the rectum or anus. Pressure on the bowel can result in them bleeding.

What are some food items that can lead to black stools?

• A non-threatening cause of black stool symptoms is the food that we eat.
• Food items like black licorice, blueberries, dark chocolate cookies, beets, and red-colored gelatin can lead to black stool.

What are some things you need to know about black stools?

• Black stool symptoms can be caused by eating black food or iron supplements.
• A bleeding ulcer in the digestive tract is one of the most common causes of black stool.
• If the color of your stool is black because of blood, it is indicative of some problem in the upper digestive tract.
• If black stool symptoms are accompanied by pain, vomiting, fever, and diarrhea, you should immediately check with a doctor.

How is blood in the stool diagnosed?

• The black color of the stool is not enough to determine whether it is blood or something else that is causing it.
• A stool test is conducted to detect blood in the stool.
• Sometimes imaging tests such as CAT scan and MRI are required to ensure that the blood flow to your digestive system is normal.
• A colonoscopy might also be recommended by the doctor to check and gauge the condition of your colon.

How can black stool symptoms be treated?

• The treatment depends on the diagnosis.
• If black stool is because of any kind of cancer, you can consult a doctor for cancer medication that can help ease, or even eradicate, the problem.
• If the problem is because of vein abnormalities and blockages, you might require a surgical procedure to treat the condition.
• If a lot of blood has been lost because of black stool, you have a risk of developing anemia.
• If there are polyps on your colon, it might mean cancer or conditions leading up to cancer. In any case, the doctor would recommend a course of treatment based on the severity of the condition, your age, and longevity prospects. It may include chemotherapy, surgery, and immunotherapy.