
The treatment usually involves getting medicine through an IV to lower the pressure in the veins or a procedure called an endoscopy to tie off the veins to stop the bleeding.Old English blæc "absolutely dark, absorbing all light, of the color of soot or coal," from Proto-Germanic *blakaz "burned" (source also of Old Norse blakkr "dark," Old High German blah "black," Swedish bläck "ink," Dutch blaken "to burn"), from PIE *bhleg- "to burn, gleam, shine, flash" (source also of Greek phlegein "to burn, scorch," Latin flagrare "to blaze, glow, burn"), from root *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn." The usual Old English word for "black" was sweart (see swart). If varices are the cause of bright red blood in your stools, you might also have symptoms like:īleeding in your esophagus is an emergency that needs treatment in a hospital. They're more common in people with liver disease.

These abnormal veins can sometimes leak blood or break open. Varices are swollen veins in the esophagus - the tube that your food travels down to get from your throat to your stomach. If yours doesn't, your doctor can use a heat treatment or give you medicine to stop the bleeding.

Other signs that you have an ulcer include: This is called melena and is a sign of an upper gastrointestinal bleed.Īlcohol and NSAIDs and hpylori increase your risk for gastric ulcers Blood exposed to gastric acids turns black and tarry (sticky). An ulcer is an open sore on the inside of your stomach or small intestine.


Sometimes dark-colored foods turn your poop black. You may need to stop or switch to a different type. Tell your doctor if you notice any problems after you take iron supplements. Other side effects of iron supplements are: Iron Supplementsīlack poop can be a side effect of iron pills you take for anemia - a condition that happens when you don't have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen around your body. Sometimes, though, it's a sign of a medical problem that you don't want to ignore.Įven if you think you know why it's happening, always call your doctor if you have black, tarry stools. If you notice your poop is black or tarry, it might be due to something as simple as a change in your diet or a new medicine you're taking.
