The black color of stool may be a normal physiological phenomenon, or it may be related to gastrointestinal bleeding and oral medication.
1. Physiological phenomenon: such as eating a lot of iron-rich green leafy vegetables, etc., will lead to black stools. If the appearance of black stools is related to the intake of iron-rich foods, there is generally no need to panic, as long as the dietary structure is changed, the color of stools will gradually become normal.
2. Pathological phenomena:
(1) Gastrointestinal bleeding: It is mainly because the trivalent iron ions in the blood will become divalent iron ions when there is bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, and ferrous iron is mostly black in color, so it will make the color of the stool black. Diseases that can cause gastrointestinal bleeding include gastric cancer, gastric ulcer, duodenal bulb ulcer, leukemia and so on.
(2) Drug factors: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-platelet and anticoagulant drugs can also directly or indirectly cause gastrointestinal bleeding and lead to black stools. Iron, bismuth and other drugs cause black stools due to the chemical reaction of its components in the digestive tract.
It is recommended that patients with black stools should go to the hospital in time for consultation, relevant examinations, and clarification of the cause of the disease under the guidance of specialized physicians.