The upper part of the GI tract will usually cause black stools due to: Abnormal blood vessels (vascular malformation) A tear in the esophagus from violent vomiting (Mallory-Weiss tear) Bleeding stomach or duodenal ulcer Inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis) Lack of proper blood flow to the intestines (bowel ischemia) Trauma or foreign body Widened, overgrown veins (called varices) in the esophagus and stomach The lower part of the GI tract will usually cause maroon or bright red, bloody stools due to: Anal fissures Bowel ischemia (when blood supply is cut off to part of the intestines) Colon polyps or colon cancer Diverticulosis (abnormal pouches in the colon) Hemorrhoids (common cause) Inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) Intestinal infection (such as bacterial enterocolitis) Small bowel tumor Trauma or foreign body Vascular malformation (abnormal collections of blood vessels called arteriovenous malformations or AVMs)
Eating black licorice, lead, iron pills, bismuth medicines like Pepto-Bismol, or blueberries can also cause black stools. Beets and tomatoes can sometimes make stools appear reddish. In these cases, your doctor can test the stool with a chemical to rule out the presence of blood. Bleeding in the esophagus or stomach (such as with peptic ulcer disease) can also cause you to vomit blood.
What causes Bloody or tarry stools?
The upper part of the {{ORGANIZATION}} tract will usually cause black stools due to: {{NAME}} blood vessels (vascular malformation) A tear in the esophagus from violent vomiting (Mallory-Weiss tear) Bleeding stomach or duodenal ulcer Inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis) Lack of proper blood flow to the intestines (bowel ischemia) Trauma or foreign body {{ORGANIZATION}}, overgrown veins (called varices) in the esophagus and stomach The lower part of the {{ORGANIZATION}} tract will usually cause maroon or bright red, bloody stools due to: Anal fissures {{NAME}} ischemia (when blood supply is cut off to part of the intestines) Colon polyps or colon cancer {{NAME}} (abnormal pouches in the colon) Hemorrhoids (common cause) Inflammatory bowel disease (such as {{ORGANIZATION}}'s disease or ulcerative colitis) Intestinal infection (such as bacterial enterocolitis) Small bowel tumor Trauma or foreign body {{ORGANIZATION}} malformation (abnormal collections of blood vessels called arteriovenous malformations or AVMs)
Eating black licorice, lead, iron pills, bismuth medicines like {{ORGANIZATION}}, or blueberries can also cause black stools. Beets and tomatoes can sometimes make stools appear reddish. In these cases, your doctor can test the stool with a chemical to rule out the presence of blood. Bleeding in the esophagus or stomach (such as with peptic ulcer disease) can also cause you to vomit blood.