Having black bowel movements that are foul smelling can be extremely upsetting to anyone. However black bowel movements can be caused by everything from dietary supplements such as iron, blood in the stool and in some cases even diet changes. Melena is black tarry bowel movements and caused by blood in the stool which indicates some kind of internal bleeding. Black stools indicate the blood is coming from high up in the intestinal tract, if it was low in the intestines or because of an acute tear in the rectum the stool would have red blood in it.
False melena is caused by the stool being affected by medications, food, minerals or iron supplements. Black or green colored stools can be indicative of iron rich foods or supplements to treat iron deficiencies, however they should still be reported to your physician for a proper diagnosis.
Some substances that can cause false melena or black stools include blueberries, black licorice, Pepto Bismol and lead. It is vital that if you are having any black stools that you inform your physician as soon as possible, even if you think that it is caused by false melena. A physician should always be notified in order to rule out medical reasons for the black color such as intestinal bleeding.
Your doctor will be able to confirm whether your stool contains any blood by getting a stool sample and sending it to the lab for testing. Your physician will also more than likely do a rectal exam to note if there is any rectal fissures or tears.
Blood in the stool can be caused by several medical conditions such as bleeding ulcers, esophageal tears or varices and in some cases gastritis.
After blood in the stool has been confirmed the physician will need to find out where the blood is coming from and then proceed with treatment to correct the problem. Diagnosing the cause of the bleed can require everything from a colonoscopy to barium studies.
Gastritis is stomach lining inflammation and can be caused by eating spicy foods, excessive alcohol consumption, bacterial infections or chronic use of NSAID medications. Severe gastritis can also easily develop after some kind of trauma or surgery.
Bleeding ulcers are caused by ulcers or sores in the lining of the stomach, which at times may bleed. Peptic ulcers are caused by acids in the stomach, other ulcers such as duodenal can be caused by bacteria infections. The bacteria infection may be caused by consumption of contaminated water or food and most bacterial infections can be effectively treated with antibiotic therapy.
Esophageal tears or varices are caused by ruptured veins in the lower esophagus or upper stomach. Esophageal tears are a serious medical complication and can be caused my excessive alcohol consumption resulting in cirrhosis of the liver. Excessive vomiting can also cause tears or Mallory Weiss tears in the esophagus which can result in a life threatening emergency. Excessive coughing can also cause tears in the esophagus.
It is extremely important that if you notice any bowel changes you should inform your physician immediately for proper diagnosis and treatment. It is important to remember black stools can be the first signs of some serious medical conditions such as polyps in the colon, bleeding ulcers and even different forms of cancer.
References for this article include: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003130.htm
www.wrongdiagnosis.com/sym/black_stool.htm
www.drugs.com/enc/bloody-or-tarry-stools.html
