Why does stool turn black? Black feces in an adult: a harmless symptom or reason to see a doctor immediately

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 stools 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 therapy includes proton pump inhibitors (omez), antibiotics and bismuth compounds, which cause darkening of the stool.

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 normal processes of the body's vital activity can let you know about some malfunctions in the work of organs and systems. So, according to the consistency, frequency and color of feces, conclusions can be drawn about the activity of the digestive system. Accordingly, when some incomprehensible changes appear in the usual stool, it is worth paying attention to them, and sometimes taking them as a reason to seek medical help.

One of the exciting and at the same time alarming phenomena can be considered the color of feces in black. Let's talk about what reasons can cause such a feature and whether it can signal serious malfunctions in the body's activity.

Why does black stool appear? Reasons of a natural nature

Black coloring of feces can be observed due to the consumption of certain foods. So this phenomenon occurs as a result of eating red beets, prunes and blueberries. Black coloration can also appear due to eaten red grapes, black currants and pomegranates. Among other things, feces can change their light due to the consumption of offal or blood sausage. Such symptoms can persist for a couple of days, and then disappear without causing other changes in the activity of the body.

Black feces may be the result of taking certain medications containing iron in their composition and used to treat anemia. Various complex multivitamin formulations and activated charcoal can also provoke such a nuisance.

If you find the appearance of black feces, it is worth remembering what exactly you have consumed in the past few days. If such a symptom arose due to food or the listed drugs, then it cannot harm the body and does not require any drug correction.

It is worth remembering that long-term use of drugs with acetylsalicylic acid can cause internal bleeding, which also stains feces black.

Diseases

With the sudden and inexplicable appearance of black feces, it is worth paying attention to the activity of the digestive tract. A similar symptom may occur due to gastrointestinal bleeding that has developed in the upper intestine. So quite often this phenomenon is explained by the presence of ulcerative lesions, which are localized in the duodenum or in the intestine. Also, black feces can appear due to intestinal ailments, tumors in the stomach, or varicose changes in the veins of the esophagus.

Quite often, such a chair indicates the presence of gastritis, an acute form of lymphoblastic leukemia, ulcerative colitis and esophagitis. It can also be caused by plague, Crohn's disease in the large intestine, hookworm, and histoplasmosis.

Most often, if the source of bleeding is in the lower intestines, then the stool has red impurities in the blood. However, with weak peristalsis, black stools can appear even with bleeding localized in the initial section of the colon.

Internal bleeding is also manifested by other alarming symptoms, so the patient may experience bloody vomiting, which, under the influence of gastric juice, takes on the appearance of dark coffee grounds. Also, a person feels severe weakness, his pressure decreases and dizziness occurs. Often these problems lead to the development of acute heart failure.

How to normalize stool and remove black feces? Treatment

If the color of the stool is not associated with any serious illness, it usually gradually changes to normal after changes in diet or the cessation of certain medications. In the presence of serious pathological conditions, black stools persist for several days or systematically repeat for no apparent reason.

You should definitely consult a doctor if an unpleasant symptom (especially black loose stools) bothers you for several days or systematically repeats. Also pay attention to your well-being. If it has worsened somewhat, this also indicates the need for medical advice. In the presence of severe pallor, collapse and cold sweat, you need to call the doctor as soon as possible.

Experts-gastroenterologists, argue that you should not hesitate to contact a doctor. If the appearance of black feces is not associated with the consumption of a certain food, you should go to the doctor as soon as you find black streaks or dots in the feces. Do not wait for obvious manifestations of intra-intestinal or gastric bleeding, in the early stages of the development of diseases it is much easier to cure them and stop pathological processes.

The causes of unpleasant symptoms can be found quite easily. The specialist recommends taking blood and stool tests, as well as gastroscopy and X-ray examination of possible lesions. Further therapy can be conservative or operative. To correct bleeding, the patient is first of all advised to follow bed rest, as well as a strict diet. With rather intense blood loss, it becomes necessary to inject infusions of blood components, and sometimes to provide additional oxygen support.

Thus, black stools may appear due to completely natural causes, but you should not leave such a symptom unattended. Do not ignore the signals of your body and consult a doctor in a timely manner.

In some cases, the feces may turn black. Accordingly, noticing such changes, many begin to worry about this, which is quite reasonable. This color of the product of the vital activity of the human body can be the cause of the presence of severe pathologies, but also some drugs that are used by humans can also be the cause.

What color of stool is normal?

Each person may have a different color of stool at different times. So, the feces of an adult can have a shade from yellowish brown to dark brown. The color also depends on the food that was taken by a person a few days before, on the amount of bile, if its outflow is disturbed, the color of the feces becomes light yellow.

In some cases, the stool may appear black when it is actually dark brown. In order to determine the true color of feces, you can perform a simple test that is available even at home.

It is necessary to apply a little feces directly on a sheet of white paper in a thin layer. This will allow you to more accurately determine what color the waste has.

If a person finds black feces, you need to know what reasons can provoke such a phenomenon. Below are the main etiological factors:

Eating foods that can turn stool black for another 3 days.

In the process of digesting prunes, red grapes or beets in large quantities, the feces can darken or even turn black. If you suspect that this particular product has caused changes in the color of the stool, you need to exclude it for 4-5 days and all this time control the color of the feces. If after 3 days from the moment of using the product, the feces are black, the causes of this manifestation lie in something else.

Taking certain medications.

A number of drugs are able to stain feces black. These drugs include iron preparations that are used for anemia (Maltofer, Aktiferrin, Ferrum Lek, Sorbifer). Also, activated charcoal and bismuth preparations (Bismofalk, De-nol) have a similar effect. The appearance of black or dark stool is not a contraindication to continue taking these drugs. Changes in treatment regimens should be carried out only by a doctor; unauthorized withdrawal of drugs can cause serious consequences.

In cases where a person takes a bismuth drug for the treatment of an ulcer, it is necessary to differentiate such a manifestation (black feces), since it can be both the result of taking the drug and a sign of bleeding from the ulcer.

Bleeding from the digestive tract.

With the development of bleeding from the esophagus (Mallory-Weiss syndrome, injury to the esophagus, bleeding from varicose veins of the esophagus) or stomach (cancer, stomach ulcer), the stool becomes black, this symptom is also called melena. In this case, most often, other symptoms are also present, for example, pain in the epigastric region, vomiting, nausea, and weakness. The vomit has the color and appearance of coffee grounds. However, in the presence of small bleeding, the first and at the same time the only symptom may be black stools.

Taking antiplatelet agents ("Cardiomagnyl", "Aspirin") and NSAIDs ("Diclofenac", "Ibuprofen") can cause bleeding in patients with duodenal ulcer or stomach ulcer. Although these drugs do not stain the stool by themselves, they can cause bleeding that will stain the stool.

What can be an additional tool in determining the reasons for staining the stool black?

The duration of the symptom - when the cause of the manifestation is the intake of a certain product, the normal color of the feces returns 1-2 days after the withdrawal of this product. With prolonged use of dyes and bleeding, feces can remain dark in color for a long time. If the reason was to take drugs, the usual color appears after the drug is discontinued, which is performed only on the advice of a doctor.

General well-being - if the cause of bleeding is bleeding, then there will be additional symptoms - pain in the stomach, clammy sweat, pallor of the skin, weakness. When the cause of the non-standard color of the stool is food, then there are no additional symptoms.

Features of the manifestation of black stools and what can be accompanied by such a phenomenon in adults?

Small black blotches - may be the result of eating fruits with small seeds, grains (grapes, raspberries).

Black stools with blood streaks - may appear in the presence of certain diseases of the large intestine, for example, Crohn's disease. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Liquid black feces - in most cases occurs in the presence of bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract. As a result of exposure to the blood of digestive enzymes, it acquires a black color, which determines the color of the feces. With the development of bleeding from the large intestine, stool will acquire the color of raspberry jelly.

Black stools in the postoperative period - may be a sign of internal bleeding, which is most likely during operations on the upper intestines, stomach, esophagus.

Black-green feces against the background of an increase in body temperature. Most often, such a manifestation is associated with the presence of a serious infectious focus in the intestine, the treatment of which must be dealt with in a hospital.

Black stool during pregnancy. Pregnancy and childbirth significantly affect intestinal motility, but cannot cause a change in stool color. Therefore, for pregnant women, all of the above factors can be the cause of a change in the shade of feces. Often the reason for the coloring of the stool in a dark color in pregnant women is the intake of iron supplements, since expectant mothers often experience anemia.

Black stool in children

If the black color of feces is observed in a child, then this fact can seriously disturb parents. In the first days of life, meconium is excreted from the child's body - feces that accumulated in the process of intrauterine development. It can be quite dark in color. After 2-3 days, such feces are replaced by masses with the usual color. Depending on the type of nutrition of the newborn, feces can be light yellow to dark mustard in color, and the consistency is usually liquid.

In older children, feces can turn black when formula-fed, cow's milk, or preparations that contain colibacterin (cow's milk protein).

However, in such cases, the stool becomes not black, but dark brown, although at first glance it may appear black. To determine the exact shade, you can perform the test described above.

If the child has become restless, cries often, has poor appetite, and black stools appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. Even in young children, bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract is possible. Especially often, such bleeding develops in children who are given cow's or goat's milk ahead of time.

The degree of bleeding from the damaged mucous membrane can be both minor and pronounced, but even in the presence of the first case, iron deficiency anemia develops over time.

In what cases should you urgently consult a doctor if you have black stools?

Black stools are accompanied by fever and vomiting.

History of duodenal or gastric ulcer.

A blood test confirms the presence of iron deficiency anemia.

There is hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver.

The other day there was severe vomiting, especially if it developed due to the intake of alcoholic beverages (the likelihood of developing Mallory-Weiss syndrome).

Cancer of the stomach or intestines in the anamnesis of relatives or the patient himself.

If the child has become restless, eats poorly, cries a lot and is unnecessarily lethargic.

Stools are normally brown in color. It should be formed, not a solid consistency, but also not runny, not foamy and without mucus. May contain undigested food residues in the form of small inclusions.

Altered stool masses are a sign of disorders in the digestive system or a symptom of serious diseases. And only in rare cases, this phenomenon is provoked by food.

Possible causes of black stool

The nature of the condition may be physiological or pathological. In the first case, black feces means the norm. In the second, it is associated with unhealthy changes in the body and requires medical intervention. The reasons for men and women are no different.

Coloring products

The ability to stain feces is possessed by products containing dark pigments. Their water-soluble species change the color of urine, fat-soluble, respectively, of the stool. The latter include:

• red wine;
• tomatoes;
• liver;
• Rowan;
• coffee;
• black currant;
• blood sausage;
• prunes;
• pomegranate;
• beet.

These products do not affect the frequency of bowel movements. When they are excluded from the diet, the color returns to normal. This happens in 1-2 days. In all cases, except for prunes, which have laxative properties.

The influence of medicines

Black stools may appear after taking certain medications, which is also the norm. Among them:

• Iron-containing drugs used for low hemoglobin (Tardiferon, Sorbifer).
• Vitamin-mineral complexes, such as Vitrum, which also include iron.
• Heartburn medicine (De-Nol) with bismuth.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Indomethacin, Aspirin, Diclofenac). They help with headaches, trauma to the joints and muscles, painful periods. But if the intake regimen is violated, it can cause internal bleeding in the digestive canal, which explains the black color of feces.
• Anticoagulants to reduce blood viscosity.
• Uncontrolled drug use.

Information about the side effects of all of these drugs can be found in the instructions that come with them.

If after stopping the medication that provoked the darkening of feces, the side effect disappears, then this is a normal physiological process. And he does not serve as a reason for going to the doctor, but it is still better not to self-medicate.

Diseases

Often black stools indicate bleeding, which occur in places of the gastrointestinal tract, where erosion affects the corresponding vessel. This is observed in every fifth patient with peptic ulcer. At the same time, blood loss is insignificant (about 80-200 ml), which makes it difficult to identify them.

And only thanks to the study of feces for occult blood and other special methods, it is possible to recognize a dangerous phenomenon. And also take the necessary therapeutic actions to avoid more serious problems in the future.

The stool may smell bad. Putrid amber is a sign of food retention in the intestines, its obstruction or ulcerative colitis. Rancid indicates poor digestion due to a deficiency of bile or pancreatic juice. A symptom of dyspepsia is feces that emit a sour stench.

In addition to melena (black tarry liquid feces), the clinical picture may be supplemented by vomiting with blood impurities. The masses released at the same time resemble coffee grounds. This coloring occurs when hemoglobin interacts with the acidic environment of gastric juice. With severe bleeding, vomiting has a scarlet color.

In addition, the patient is concerned about:

• Hypotension.
• Frequent pulse.
• Anemia.
• Weakness.
• Violation of thermoregulation.
• Profuse cold sweat.
• Paleness of the skin.

Pain syndrome, if it bothered before bleeding, as a rule, disappears.

Shades and highlights

Feces may have a greenish coloration, which is a sign of pathology, and does not depend on medication or nutrition. The cause is often associated with intestinal infections, such as dysentery. Nausea and high temperature are absent, they are observed somewhat later. Therefore, with an unusual shade of feces, it is worth visiting a doctor.

Sometimes the color of the feces is uneven, some granular inclusions or black dots are visible in it. They can be the remains of undigested food, such as kiwi, poppy, persimmon, currant, grapes.

Blood streaks in feces appear in Crohn's disease, histoplasmosis, gastritis, hookworm and other pathologies requiring medical intervention. Therefore, diagnostics must be professional, allowing with 100% accuracy to say what is the cause of the phenomenon and what to do.

Accurate diagnosis

The main factor in determining the nature of the condition is the patient's well-being. If everything is fine with him, then the black stool is nothing more than a trace after taking certain medications or products. The exact color of feces can be determined using a simple paper test. To do this, apply a small amount of feces on a white sheet and stretch it with a thin layer.

The accompanying symptoms can also tell about the pathological nature of the symptom in question:

• anemia;
• flatulence;
• diarrhea;
• constipation;
• nausea;
• vomit;
• increased body temperature;
• heartburn;
• stomach pains.

In such cases, there is a suspicion of cirrhosis, hepatitis or ulcers. The color of feces is also affected by:

• Worm infestations.
• Mycoses.
• Exacerbation of lymphoblastic leukemia.
• Varicose veins in the vessels of the esophagus.

Dark stools can be the result of the decay of cancerous tumors. A symptom that appeared in the postoperative period indicates internal bleeding and requires urgent medical intervention. Modern informative methods of instrumental and laboratory diagnostics help to identify these diseases:

• Colonoscopy.
• Sigmoidoscopy.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
• Blood tests.

Black feces in children

A symptom called "meconium" is considered normal in babies as young as 3 days old. Its composition:

• Amniotic fluid.
• epithelial cells.
• Bile and hair.

Its consistency is similar to resin. It is typical for all newborns, so it should not cause concern to parents. This phenomenon is due to the fact that during intrauterine development, the embryo comes into contact with its environment and swallows its components. After birth, the baby's digestive canal is cleansed and all these substances come out with the feces, staining it in various shades of black. Over time, the feces acquire the desired shape and normal color.

In an older child, the reason is related to complementary foods, if it includes foods, including:

• blackberry;
• cherry;
• blueberry;
• currant;
• bananas.

As well as vitamin preparations or new milk formulas containing iron. The microelement reacts with hydrochloric acid and gives dark-colored substances.

Therefore, complementary foods should be introduced with caution, following the recommendations of the pediatrician. All products must enter the child's body on time. If, in addition to black stools, the baby is worried: dizziness, pain in the abdomen, it is worth visiting a doctor without delay.

During pregnancy

The black color of feces in women in position is not always associated with nutrition, although this factor cannot be ruled out either. It is caused by a changed hormonal background, which is rebuilt during this period. High levels of progesterone lead to constant mood swings, frequent urination, nausea and other disorders, including in the work of the alimentary canal.

Black stools, combined with fever, weakness - an occasion for an urgent visit to the gynecologist. Regular examination of pregnant women, a blood test allows doctors to quickly respond to ongoing changes in the body and take urgent measures to preserve the fetus and mother's health.

Pregnant women often suffer from constipation and eat prunes, fresh vegetables and fruits, drink dried fruit compotes. As a result, the problems stop, but the stool temporarily becomes black, which later returns to normal.

In older people, the color of feces becomes darker with age. which is also a physiological norm. Occurs in bedridden patients with slow metabolic processes. It can be a symptom of the shutdown of some organs, observed with a disease of the alimentary canal and other vital systems.

In any case, the color of the feces, its structure, the presence of inclusions and other deviations from the norm are signs that require close attention. They are caused both by harmless causes, and are the first bells signaling a serious pathology, the treatment of which cannot be delayed.

And is it dangerous to health? As a rule, such an intimate question is of interest to many who have this deviation. But, unfortunately, not everyone can ask it to their doctor. That is why in this article we decided to explain in detail what the black color of feces means, and in what situations the stool can change its color.

According to experts, such a problem arises as a result of various changes in the body and external influences. Let's consider each situation separately.

Fecal reasons for rejection

1. Food

Normal stool color can vary from light brown to dark. However, most often the feces become black due to the consumption of certain foods by a person, which may contain certain coloring pigments. These ingredients include the following:

• liver of birds and other animals;
• ripe red tomatoes;
• as well as all kinds of meat products, which contain impurities of the animal's blood;
• boiled beets or freshly squeezed juice from it;
• blackcurrant, as well as jam based on this berry;
• ripe pomegranate;
• chokeberry, cherry and sweet cherry;
• red grapes;
• prunes;
• coffee or cocoa;
• blueberry fruits;
• red wine, where dyes were added, as well as a drink with a high percentage of fruit seeds.

Thus, asking the question of why the color in the first place, you should think about whether you have recently used at least one of the above products.

2. Medications

If the darkening of the stool is in no way associated with the consumption of certain dishes, then most likely this deviation is associated with the use of drugs. The medicines that affect this factor include the following drugs.

• Tablets that contain a large amount of bismuth (for example, Novbismol, De-Nol and others).
• Medicines or vitamins with a high iron content (for example, Ferrum-Lek, Sorbifer, Vitrum, Tardiferon and others). In this case, the question of what the black color of feces means is very often asked by pregnant women. After all, they are the ones who consume a large amount of multivitamins containing iron.
• Activated carbon.
• Long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, drugs "Indomethacin", "Ibuprofen", "Aspirin", "Nimesulide" and others).

3. Diseases

In the event that you are not taking any medications, the question of what black feces means should alert you. After all, such a symptom may indicate the presence of serious pathologies in the body. Consider a list of the most common diseases, a sign of which is a strong darkening of the stool.

• Defect of the veins of the esophagus (varicose veins). As a rule, occurs with cirrhosis.
• Peptic ulcer of the duodenum and stomach.
• Multiple ulcers of the mucous membrane of the esophagus or stomach, formed after inhalation of toxic or irritating substances.
• Neoplasms (malignant / benign) of the esophagus or stomach.