Find out what it means when your poop is black or dark green. Dark stool can appear as dark green stool that is almost black. Black stool can be caused by internal bleeding (called melena) or by consuming certain foods.
Also find out what you can do if you have black stool and when to see a doctor. Poop color can indicate one's health state by giving some clues about his diet and lifestyle or the presence of gastrointestinal infection. Know when to seek help.
Poop is normally brown, but it can sometimes be green, red or black. Learn what all the colors mean and when to worry. Dark black and green stool can indicate various health issues, ranging from dietary changes to severe gastrointestinal conditions.
Black stool, or melena, often suggests digested blood from upper gastrointestinal bleeding, while green stool may result from rapid transit in the intestines or specific foods and medications. Symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, or fatigue accompanying these. Poop is typically brown, however some may experience black, green, yellow, bloody or even mucus in their stool.
This article gets into the colorful details. Causes of green poop may include your diet, medications, digestive disorders, or infections. This symptom typically goes away with home remedies.
Stool typically turns green because of something you ate or drank, such as leafy green vegetables or foods with green dye. A green stool color can occur with infection, or when chronic conditions affect the liver or gallbladder. See a healthcare provider if you have red, black, or tarry stool, or symptoms such as pain, diarrhea, and fever.
As bile travels through your digestive tract, it is chemically altered by enzymes, changing the colors from green to brown. Ask a healthcare professional if you're concerned about your stool color. If your stool is bright red or black.
Black stool Tarry, foul-smelling black stool can indicate bleeding from the stomach or upper small intestine. Stomach acid and digestive enzymes convert blood from a red color to black. This always requires immediate medical attention.
Iron supplements, bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol), and activated charcoal may blacken stool. If you notice your poop is black or tarry, it might be due to something as simple as a change in your diet. Sometimes it's a sign of a medical problem.
Learn why your stool may have a different.