Why is the feces black, for what diseases is a change in the color of the stool a signal for an emergency call for medical help? Black feces: when it appears and what to do with it

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.

The normal shade of stool is brown, although the acceptable color range is quite wide. If there are strong changes, for example, black stools appear, then this can easily cause anxiety. In fact, the meaning of such a symptom is different. Some causes are completely harmless, while others are quite serious diseases.

If there are significant changes in the color of feces, then, first of all, you need to think about what foods or medications have been taken recently. The chair is very easily stained, for example, due to common prunes.

In this case, it is enough to wait a few days, excluding the probable cause of the new color from the diet. If during this time there has been no improvement, then you will have to consult a doctor to find the cause.

Black feces can be both a harmless symptom and a harbinger of a disease.

Common dyes

There are quite a few products that can potentially lead to a change in shade. If a person is interested in why his feces are black, then he should check if he has recently consumed one of these products.

Plant food:

Red beetroot,
Blueberry,
Black currant,
chokeberry,
Apples,
bananas,
Pomegranate,
Prunes,
Blackberry,
Red ,
Wine with red dyes.

From the point of view of meat products, black coloring of feces can lead to:

Blood sausage,
Other meat products with blood inclusions,
Liver.

Finally, very strong tea or coffee could also be the cause if they were consumed in large quantities. Sometimes simple high-calorie meals also lead to unwanted discoloration.

Prunes can cause black stools

Influence of drugs

In addition to food, medications can also act as dyes. The most common case is the intake of activated charcoal. After using it, the next time you go to the toilet, a person will see a black color.

Other influencing drugs are those that cause bleeding in the stomach, as well as those saturated with iron. That is why black feces are so often observed during pregnancy. Many expectant mothers are diagnosed with a possible one, which is why they start taking iron.

Some vitamin complexes and even preparations from lead to such changes. As a rule, each instruction indicates whether the color of the stool can change as a result of taking it. You should review the list of side effects from recent medications to see if they might be causing the problem.

Note. Black liquid feces, which appeared after the start of taking medications, indicates the need to visit a doctor.

If a black color is formed after a long-term use of Ibuprofen, De Nol, medicines for or some other, then this is not a reason to immediately run to the doctor. It is enough to stop the consumption of these drugs and follow the dynamics of changes. Thus, it is necessary to act in the same way as if the reason were covered in food products.

Don't be surprised if your stool is black after taking activated charcoal.

Features of changes in children

Parents always carefully monitor the condition of their child, including changes in his feces. As a rule, if there are no other symptoms, such as fever or general loss of strength, when this color appears, then most likely the reason lies in the food.

In newborns, dark stools are quite common, since, while still in the womb, he swallowed various substances, such as amniotic fluid or mucus. All this will subsequently begin to leave the body, and the stool may become black. This will be the so-called original excrement or meconium.

Another period for which this is the norm is the transition from breastfeeding to regular food or infant formula. As a rule, after a few days everything passes. Often this happens because of the first consumption of bananas, or if the mixture was saturated with iron. The substance is often present in children's vitamins.

Any products that can color an adult's feces can also affect a child's condition. Thus, it is necessary to carefully remember everything that the baby ate. In the event that the diet could not affect the color, as well as with the appearance of temperature or nausea, we can talk about more pathological causes.

Black stool in a newborn baby is a common thing

Dark shade in the elderly

Most of the substances that cause black stools are the same in older people as they are in adults. However, most often the reason lies in medications, in particular vitamin complexes, if they contain a lot of iron. In this case, people do not need to interrupt the course.

Older people often take activated charcoal, which can change color, but if they still have liquid stools, then the best solution is to see a doctor. Consumption of Denol also leads to changes.

A similar shade becomes a normal, but rather sad event in two cases. First, if the person is bedridden. His body tries to adapt to low activity by slowing down the metabolism. Because of this, changes occur. This also happens if the organs gradually stop working. In this case, liquid and black stools will indicate a likely imminent death.

The dark color of the stool in the elderly is most often provoked by medications.

Possible diseases

If the color changes were not affected by food or drugs, and the situation is not related to the peculiarities of age, then you can think about the course of some kind of disease. Since the addition of red to the feces leads to a black tint, most often these diseases are associated with internal bleeding, especially in the stomach.

Note. Black does not always indicate the presence of blood. Often the shade is obtained due to the ingress of special bacteria and enzymes into the masses.

What does black stool mean, in addition to internal bleeding:

The development of ulcers
The beginning of oncological processes,
Expansion of the esophageal veins
leukemia,
Plague,
histoplasmosis,
Ankylostomiasis,
or liver cancer
Gastroenteritis,
Crohn's disease, frolicking in the intestines.

You should not be afraid of serious illnesses if the dark color of the stool is the only symptom that appears. Usually, the above pathologies manifest themselves in another way.

The patient's temperature rises.
He begins to vomit or vomit.
There is pallor of the skin.
He sweats a lot.
The liver may increase in size and be painful on palpation.
It almost always causes stomach pain.

Numbness of the limbs and problems with are also symptoms that indicate the need to urgently see a doctor. If a blood test shows a decrease in hemoglobin, then it will be possible to talk about quite likely internal bleeding. In the case of gastroenteritis, there is usually a strong fecal odor.

The development of ulcers is one of the possible diseases, a symptom of which may be black feces.

Other shades

In addition to dark black, black-green feces are often observed in an adult. Unlike the first option, most often this is due to diseases, and not to nutritional problems. Usually this happens due to infectious diseases that can be localized both in the intestines and in other places.

Very often, a green tint indicates dysentery. At its first manifestations, there may be no temperature, pain syndrome, nausea, and other likely symptoms. They appear a little later.

If there is also a green color in the feces, then it is best to immediately consult a doctor, and not wait for the condition to worsen. However, it may also turn out that color is the only sign of ongoing changes. In this case, it is permissible to say that it was caused by food rich in chlorophyll.

Black dots

Sometimes the feces may not be completely stained, but only partially changed. For example, it may contain tiny black grains, which are commonly called black dots. Most often, these are simply leftover food or medicines that have not been fully digested. The products themselves do not have to be black.

Most often this happens after eating:

raspberries,
currants,
persimmons,
poppy,
Kiwi,
apples,
Bananas.

Diagnosis and treatment

If there is a suspicion that the feces have become black due to illness, then the doctor will prescribe a series of procedures with which he examines the digestive tract. Often you have to swallow a probe, pass through, and also take standard tests.

Treatment directly depends on the cause. If the matter was in products or medicines, then no therapy will be carried out. It will only be necessary to adjust the diet, reducing the consumption of possible dyes. If the reasons turned out to be more serious, then it is highly likely that the patient will need urgent hospitalization, and sometimes surgery.

If, when changing the color of feces, you feel that this may be a disease, be sure to consult a doctor.

Note! Sometimes black-colored feces appear just after operations. This may indicate that internal bleeding has begun due to such a procedure.

As an emergency measure of assistance, before the arrival of an ambulance, you can put the sick person to rest and not give food. He is only allowed to drink cold clean water. Subsequently, it will be necessary to take care of prevention.

To prevent this from happening again, it is important to monitor your diet, in particular, to exclude high-calorie foods from the diet. It is also important to contact a specialist in time for problems with the gastrointestinal tract, and pregnant women should not miss trips to their doctor.

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The presence of black stool indicates the presence of a serious disease or bleeding in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. That is why you should not ignore this problem, and you should not lose sight of the other symptoms that have appeared. Food products can also create a black color, but in any case, a visit to a specialist is necessary, since he will be able to understand the situation in detail. It is better to play it safe and go for an examination than to convince yourself that everything is normal and start problems. In this article we will understand the question: if the feces are black, what does this mean?

Black feces: causes and possible diseases

The work of the gastrointestinal tract is interconnected with the color of feces, consistency, frequency of stools. For these indicators there is a norm. Thus, the stool is normal in color from yellow-brown to dark brown. If the stool is black, this indicates a problem.

Faced with a similar phenomenon, many begin to worry. But for starters, it’s better to remember what foods were consumed the day before, since it is quite possible that the reason for the black color of feces lies in the use of certain foods.

So, let's analyze the possible reasons if the feces are black, and what this means.

Reason 1

Black stools are associated with the consumption of large amounts of dark and black foods, which may contribute to a change in the color of the stool, but not the consistency and frequency of the stool. If you stop using these products, then after a couple of days the normal color will be restored.

Important! Sometimes there is a feces of a liquid consistency, for example, the use of prunes not only causes staining, but also contributes to weakening.

Reason 2

The use of certain drugs also contributes to discoloration:

With the use of activated charcoal, stool staining in a dark color is observed.
Using iron preparations, oxidation occurs in the stomach and intestines, which contributes to a dark color.
Preparations that contain bismuth in their composition also cause staining of feces.

Important! Cancellation of drugs contributes to the normalization of color.

Reason 3

The black color of feces characterizes bleeding in the esophagus or stomach. In the stomach, the process of blood oxidation occurs, mixing with bile, which is located in the duodenum, and staining the stool black. This is an alarm bell that needs immediate hospitalization.

Also causes bleeding:

varicose veins of the esophagus;
esophageal injury;
malignant tumors;
ulcer.

Important! In addition to the black color of feces, the bleeding process is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and weakness.

Reason 4

Chronic constipation causes discoloration of feces, which may be black in color. Constipation occurs as a result of malnutrition or the use of medications. Very often, constipation accompanies bedridden patients.

Black stool during pregnancy

What does black stool mean during pregnancy?

Important! Any assumptions about bleeding during a woman's pregnancy are a threatening factor for the expectant mother and child. Therefore, at the slightest suspicion, you should immediately contact a specialist for qualified advice and solving an important problem.

The presence of black stool does not always indicate bleeding and a serious illness. A woman who is carrying a child is examined for the purpose of prevention, since very often the cause of black feces is hormonal changes:

During the first trimester of pregnancy, the body of the expectant mother is rebuilt, and it is for this reason that all kinds of disorders in the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract occur.
A woman's pregnancy contributes to elevated progesterone levels. The presence of this hormone provokes frequent urination, affects mood swings, and causes nausea.

When bleeding, the black color of the feces indicates the initial symptom, the next step will be anemia and other disorders that are instantly visible with regular examination and blood tests.

Important! If the black color of the feces is accompanied by an increase in temperature, the presence of severe weakness, a pale complexion, the presence of nausea and vomiting, then you should immediately contact a specialist.

There are cases when the black color of feces occurs when treating a pregnant woman for constipation. Reduced smooth muscle tone contributes to constipation, which causes inconvenience to the expectant mother from the first months of pregnancy.

Constipation causes hemorrhoids and other problems, so pregnant women actively consume prunes, grapes, currants, blueberries, drink a lot of dried fruit compotes and include a large amount of vegetables and fruits in their diet. As a result, constipation disappears, but a colored black stool appears. If you reduce the use of dark fruits and vegetables, then the color of feces normalizes.

If the disease appeared in adults?

A change in the color of feces in healthy adults, if the presence of other symptoms is not observed, should not cause panic and anxiety. In this case, black feces may indicate the use of coloring products.

There is a list of dye products that can change the color of feces:

meals that are high in calories
red dry or fortified wine;
sausage made from blood;
meat with blood, liver;
currants, blueberries and blackberries, as well as juices from these berries;
dark grapes, chokeberry, the use of juices from them;
prunes;
iron-containing substances such as bananas, apples, persimmons, pomegranates;
tomatoes, beets;
drinking large amounts of strong coffee or black tea.

You need to analyze your own diet of products for the last couple of days:

If you exclude, in your opinion, suspicious vegetables and fruits, then the color of the excrement will return to normal in a day.
If there is no change in the color of the feces for about three days, then food preferences are not the cause of the black color.

Sometimes long black fibrous inclusions are visible in the feces. It may be the undigested remains of a banana, while you need to be sure that this is not a helminthic invasion.

Important! When using anti-inflammatory drugs, drugs for heartburn, it is also possible to change the color of the stool, which becomes black. This is not a reason to stop taking medications, because after the end of the course of treatment, the temporary effect disappears.

In addition to color, you need to pay attention to the consistency of feces. The cause of liquid black bowel movements can be:

improper digestion;
intoxication of the body;
the presence of diseases.

Important! The appearance of liquid black bowel movements should be the reason for contacting specialists - and the sooner the better.

How to deal with such a problem in children?

The presence of black feces in children causes great anxiety and anxiety in parents. If this happens, then it is necessary to observe the condition of the child.

Important! If the baby is active, has a normal body temperature and nothing bothers him, then the black color of the feces is caused by the food taken, so you should not worry too much.

Black feces in children means one of the following factors is present:

The first days of a child's life are accompanied by a black color of feces. This is a normal physiological process. While in the womb, the baby had to constantly contact with amniotic fluid, mucus and other substances, constantly swallow them. After birth, the baby's stomach is cleared and all this comes out along with black feces.
The black color of feces appears when the baby moves from breastfeeding to artificial. This situation is normal, in a few days everything will return to normal.
Bananas can also cause black stools. When a child first meets such a fruit, a similar reaction may occur, but after a few days the body gets used to it and the stool returns to normal.
Infant formula contains a lot of iron. The use of such food can provoke the appearance of black stools, so do not worry, because after a few weeks the stool normalizes.
The use of iron-containing vitamins can cause the appearance of black stool. Knowing the reason, you should not stop using this drug.
The most common cause of black stools is the food you eat. You need to remember what the child ate. Black stools can occur from apples, bananas, grapes, red or black currants, blueberries, blackberries, tomatoes, beets, or liver dishes.

Important! If the baby has a high temperature, there are complaints of feeling unwell, there are signs of nausea, while the feces are black, then you should immediately contact a qualified specialist.

There are many factors that can contribute to discoloration of stools:

Using normal foods, children have the usual dark brown color of excrement.
If the child eats vegetarian food, then the color of the feces becomes light brown.
When using a milk diet, a pale brown or pale yellow hue of feces is observed.
The use of meat products characterizes the black-brown color of the stool.
The use of sorrel and spinach causes a greenish tint to feces.
Excessive consumption of pork is characterized by a reddish hue of feces.
The use of various berries - blueberries, blackberries, black currants - contributes to the black and black-brown color of excrement.
The use of iron-containing preparations contributes to the black color with a greenish tinge of feces.
The use of bismuth characterizes the presence of black feces.

It is necessary to introduce complementary foods to the baby very carefully, while adhering to general recommendations. The use of too sour, sweet or heavy food can harm the emerging intestine and cause serious pathologies. It's best to resist the temptation to let your child try a new food ahead of time and prevent liver and stomach problems from developing.

Important! You should never self-medicate. Taking, at first glance, harmless drugs, you can harm the whole body. It is better to entrust the care of the baby to qualified specialists.

What is the risk of this symptom for the elderly?

What does black stool in the elderly indicate? Fecal masses in the elderly are darker than in the younger generation. This is normal and does not require any treatment.

However, the following points must be taken into account:

Bedridden patients have a slow metabolic process, in connection with this, a change in the color of feces may also occur.
The appearance of black feces in the elderly is characterized by a very likely sign of gastrointestinal bleeding or there is a "shutdown" of vital organs, an inability to properly consume food products.

Important! If an elderly person has black feces, diarrhea, or feels unwell, then it is necessary to call a doctor, as this indicates health problems.

In what cases is medical assistance needed?

Consider the symptoms in which you need to urgently contact a qualified specialist or call an ambulance:

the vomiting process suddenly began;
dizziness and loss of consciousness;
a high temperature has risen sharply, which cannot be brought down by anything;
drops in blood pressure occur;
the patient has a chronic bowel disease;
the patient has chronic anemia;
the patient is predisposed to chronic liver disease;
there is numbness of the limbs;
there are suspicions of oncological diseases, cirrhosis, or such diseases are present in relatives;
there was intoxication of the body due to the huge amount of alcohol.

Important! With such symptoms, you can not self-medicate and waste precious time. If at the same time all the feces are black, then an urgent medical consultation is necessary to establish the correct diagnosis.

What diseases does black stool indicate?

One of the reasons for the appearance of black feces is internal bleeding, which can be provoked by polyps, peptic ulcers, varicose veins of the esophagus, or injury. Bleeding can occur from Crohn's disease, histoplasmosis, hookworm, and various other diseases. Such a treatment process is subject to a long period of time and mandatory control by a medical specialist.

Important! Sometimes surgery, resulting in intestinal infections, can cause a change in the color of feces.

Black feces may indicate such diseases:

the presence of inflammatory processes in the small and large intestines;
varicose veins of the esophagus or stomach;
the presence of gastritis and leukemia;
deep degree of defeat of helminthiases and mycoses;
peptic ulcer or inflammation of the gastric mucosa;
intestinal pathologies and the development of tumors;
plague.

Sometimes inappropriate use of drugs contributes to the development of gastrointestinal pathologies.

Important! In case of violation of the scheme of taking medications, tiny ulcers, erosions on the intestinal mucosa may occur. The damaged membrane bleeds, and the blood changes the color of the stool.

The presence of internal bleeding, except for black feces, is indicated by:

low level of hemoglobin in the blood;
pale skin tone;
change in thermoregulation;
the occurrence of an unreasonable amount of cold sweat.

Important! If the black color of the feces also has a greenish tint, then this is almost always the cause of the development of infectious diseases. Greenish-black diarrhea is characterized by the presence of dysentery. Only when the body is damaged does other accompanying symptoms appear, such as the appearance of nausea, then vomiting, weakness, dizziness, which leads to loss of consciousness.

General malaise and black stool indicates the presence of the disease. Consider some of the characteristic signs of diseases:

Gastric ulcer - accompanied by characteristic sores on the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum. This is a chronic disease.
Gastritis causes - inflammation of the walls of the stomach. Both adults and children are susceptible to this disease. The main symptoms of the disease are characterized by the presence of black stools, diarrhea, heartburn, and vomiting.
Cirrhosis of the liver - occurs in people over 40 years of age. The main symptom of such a disease is the presence of black stools. In most cases, the patient's stool has a liquid consistency, in addition, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness may be present. This color of feces causes internal bleeding and implies an urgent appeal to a medical specialist.
Oncological disease of the liver or colon is an incurable disease that develops with advanced cirrhosis of the liver. Typical symptoms of this disease:
- black color of feces;
- the presence of vomiting;
- a sharp weight loss of the body;
- the presence of blood in the feces;
- aching pain in the abdominal cavity;
- low pressure;
- diarrhea;
- lethargic state.
Bleeding of the stomach - very common in people who often take strong antibiotics. Also, internal bleeding is typical for people who abuse alcoholic beverages.
Gastroenteritis is an infectious disease, which is characterized by the presence of black feces with a pronounced pungent odor.

What drugs can cause black stools?

What does black stool mean? If a black stool is detected, it is necessary to analyze the presence of medications that are constantly taken.

Unusual color can cause the following drugs:

Medicines that are used to treat anemia. The use of sorbifer, ferrum, aktiferrin, maltofer characterizes the black shade of feces.
The use of vitamin complexes, such as Vitrum.
The use of activated black charcoal.
The use of drugs that serve for the treatment of the stomach, which include bismuth-De-Nol.

Important! If these types of drugs are constantly taken, then there is no need to worry about excrement.

But these groups of medicines should be treated with special attention:

The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are prescribed for the treatment of inflammation of the joints, ligaments, and muscles. The use of aspirin, denebol, diclofenacs of all kinds can cause an unusual color of excrement.
The use of drugs that can reduce blood viscosity. Anticoagulants also cause unusual coloring of feces.
Uncontrolled drug use.

Important! These substances alone cannot stain the feces in a nasty black color, but they can provoke damage to the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, there is internal bleeding with varying levels of intensity. The blood that decomposes turns the feces black. This pathology causes unpleasant symptoms with the presence of pain in the epigastric region, a burning process, signs of nausea and the presence of vomiting. In such a situation, you should immediately contact a medical professional.

Normal stool color

The normal color of feces varies from light brown to dark brown. The stools should be formed, not frothy, runny or too hard. Small inclusions of undigested food residues may be allowed. Normal color is an individual indicator of each adult.

Important! If the color of the excrement is suspicious enough, but the color shade is difficult to determine, then you can use a paper test. To do this, you need to put some bowel movements on a clean white sheet of paper and look at the result. With this test, the color manifests itself to the fullest.

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.

The strange color of the stool in an adult may appear due to the use of certain foods, medicines, nutritional supplements. However, one should not forget that such a phenomenon is also a symptom of some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, sometimes quite formidable. Let's see - black feces in an adult, what does it mean.

What determines the color of feces?

Why do black stools cause alertness? The color of feces is determined by the following components:

bile pigments, which are metabolites of hemoglobin;
food composition;
the rate of passage of the food bolus through the intestines.

Normally, stool has all shades of brown. With an excess of consumption of dairy products, it can be yellow, and with intestinal pathologies, it can change its color. Often the color of feces is used to diagnose certain diseases.

It is the black color of feces that requires close observation and identification of causes., since this shade appears as a result of the reaction of hemoglobin with hydrochloric acid of gastric secretion. However, before going to the doctor, you need to remember what was eaten the day before and what medications were taken. If the stool is stained for this reason, then it is called physiological.

What foods cause black stool

If you see your own black feces, you should not immediately panic. Most likely the reason is in the food eaten the day before. In the vast majority of cases, this is what causes a change in the color of the stool. The most common products lead to blackening of feces:

after beets and salads with it;
coffee;
red wine;
blueberries, blueberries, currants, pomegranates, black grapes, blackberries, blackberries;
dried fruits from prunes;
bananas;
tomatoes and juice from them;
the so-called blood sausages and steaks of a low degree of roasting;
liver.

Moreover, you should not worry if the change in the color of the stool is not accompanied by painful or uncomfortable sensations. Just observe the nature of the stool for a few days. If the changes are caused by food, then during this time everything is normal.

What medications cause stool color change

There are a number of drugs that cause discoloration of stool.

These include:

activated charcoal, which is often taken for intoxication. During the removal of coal from the body, the color of the feces changes to black. Such a phenomenon can last for several days, and then everything passes without consequences;
the color of excrement is affected by certain vitamins (which include blueberries or iron) and iron-containing preparations. A change in stool color is not an indication to stop taking the drug. Feces can remain black throughout the course of therapy and up to 7 days after its completion;
drugs aspirin, nimesil, ibuprofen and the use of antibiotics with prolonged use can also change the color of feces;
bismuth-containing drugs prescribed for the treatment of intestinal ulcers and other pathologies that develop in the duodenum.

Black poop in children

In children, this symptom is very rare and is usually associated with food intake. Salads with beets, prunes, bananas, blueberries and other berries cause black stools in children of any age.

In newborns in the first days of life, the stool also has a very dark color and is called meconium. This is a physiologically normal process.

Iron, which is part of many fortified milk formulas, can cause stool staining. If the darkening of the stool is not accompanied by anxiety in the child and crying, then you should not pay close attention to it.

If the symptom appears along with fever, the child begins to worry, you should immediately call a doctor to remove the suspicion of intoxication or internal bleeding.

In older children, discoloration of the feces may be a symptom of bleeding from incomplete closure of Mikkel's diverticulum. Blood can come out massively, provoking the rapid development of anemia. In a child, internal bleeding can be caused by:

diaphragmatic hernia;
varicose veins of the esophagus;
infectious or allergic vascular pathologies;
peptic ulcer and gastritis.

If these diseases are suspected, the child should not be fed and should be urgently hospitalized to determine the causes of the pathology.

What diseases and pathologies cause black feces

If gray and black blotches appear in the stool, you need to pay attention to the functionality of the gastrointestinal tract. What is the reason for this symptom? It may appear when:

Let's take a closer look What diseases in humans most often manifest this pathology:

An ulcer is a very common cause of internal bleeding. Ulcers are open sores that bleed when in contact with food. The blood is then transported to the large intestine and mixed with the feces. The most common causes of ulcers are bacterial infections of Helicobacter pylori, abuse of anti-inflammatory drugs - ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin.
With gastritis, the same processes occur. The mucosa with gastritis can be eroded and inflamed.
With a strong prolonged cough or vomiting, the mucous membrane connecting the esophagus and stomach can be damaged and begin to bleed. This symptom is called a Mallory-Weiss tear and also causes blackness in the stool.
Varicose veins of the esophagus can bleed. With such a pathology, the blood has not just a black color, but a tarry black appearance. Such a chair is called tarry.
Diverticulitis is a pathology characterized by pathological protrusions of the intestinal wall. Diverticula under certain conditions can rupture, which is accompanied by bleeding and, as a result, causes black stools.
The same symptom appears in Crohn's disease, in which inflammation penetrates deep into the intestinal tissue.
Malignant tumors of the intestine can cause black stools. The tumors bleed in most cases, causing painful defecation of blackened stools.
The anal canal is the site of excretion of feces from the intestines. A hard poop can damage its surface and even sometimes tear it, which leads to bleeding from cracks and staining. This pathology often accompanies constipation.
With hemorrhoids, stool can rupture a protruding vein.
If a person has black feces and at the same time there is an increase in temperature, this may indicate the presence of an intestinal infection.

Black feces caused by pathology of the gastrointestinal tract requires an immediate examination by a doctor, identification of its causes and treatment. Somewhat differently, internal bleeding may manifest itself, requiring emergency assistance - calling an ambulance. Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract is usually accompanied by additional symptoms:

weakness, dizziness;
tachycardia;
vomiting with blood;
sharp blanching.

With severe bleeding, heart failure quickly develops in an acute form, accompanied by pain. The condition will only get worse and can be fatal. Before the ambulance arrives, it is not recommended to take medication to stop it on your own. In the postoperative period, such a symptom may indicate the development of bleeding.

What to do if the feces are black

If you suddenly observe dark-colored feces in yourself, first of all, you need to think and remember what you have eaten over the past 3 days. Do not forget to look at the composition of the vitamins or dietary supplements taken, carefully read the instructions for them: perhaps black feces are indicated there as a side effect. In the absence of other symptoms - dizziness, pain in the abdomen, vomiting, you can just wait another 2-3 days - most likely the condition will return to normal.

If the black stool continues for a long time and its appearance is not associated with food and medication, then you need to contact a specialist. In some cases, the patient himself can compare the disease he has with this symptom. For example, with a tendency to constipation and accompanying the act of defecation with painful sensations, one can suspect the presence of an anal fissure. Approximately the same symptoms, plus a feeling of itching, heat and burning in the anus, are accompanied by hemorrhoids.