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Apr 1, 2024 · Stool has a wide range of normal colors, but medium brown is typical. Melena causes stool to be much darker, appearing black or nearly black. Melenic stool is also different in texture from normal stools. It is often described as tarry, meaning it is sticky and dense. The third part of melena is the smell.
- What Causes Melena (Black stool)?
- How Do I Know If My Black Stool Is Melena?
- What Other Symptoms Do You Have with Melena?
Melena comes from bleeding in your upper GI tract — usually your stomach or the upper part of your small intestine (duodenum). It could also be from your lower esophagusif you swallowed the blood. Rarely, it might be from your lower small bowel or upper large bowel, if your bowels move very slowly. Causes of upper GI bleeding and melena may include...
A healthcare provider can test your stool to determine if it has blood in it. A provider will also ask you questions about your health history, your symptoms and the nature of your poop. They might ask:
Other symptoms can be a clue to what’s causing the bleeding or where it’s coming from. For example: Abdominal pain may signal a stomach condition, like an ulcer, gastritis or gastropathy. Chest pain may be from your esophagus. Pancreatic conditions can cause either upper abdominal pain or back pain. If you feel no pain, you might have a silent ulce...
Melena is a form of blood in stool which refers to the dark black, tarry feces that are commonly associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. [1] The black color and characteristic strong odor are caused by hemoglobin in the blood being altered by digestive enzymes and intestinal bacteria. [2]
Oct 13, 2023 · Symptoms depend on the rate of bleeding as well as the location of the bleed, which can be anywhere on the GI tract, from where it starts — the mouth — to where it ends — the anus. Overt bleeding might show up as: Vomiting blood, which might be red or might be dark brown and look like coffee grounds. Black, tarry stool.
Jul 20, 2021 · Melena refers to black, tar-like, sticky stools and usually results from upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The source of bleeding can come from damage to the lining of the GI tract, breakage of swollen blood vessels, or other conditions that prolong bleeding such as hemophilia. Symptoms typically depend on the amount of blood lost and the source ...
Oct 8, 2021 · Black stools caused by these kinds of upper GI issues are sometimes referred to as melena. A few of these conditions include: gastritis. esophagitis. Mallory-Weiss syndrome. esophageal or stomach ...
Mar 27, 2018 · Melena causes black, tarry stools that are easy to distinguish from the brighter red associated with hematochezia. The blood is usually jet-black, similar to ink from a black ballpoint pen ...
