Today: How Wilma Rudolph overcame poverty and polio to become famous and an inspiration to others. If ever you thought the odds against your success were overwhelming, wait until you read todayâs story. Wilma was born black in deeply segregated Tennessee in 1940, the 20th of 22 children to a poor family.
Esophageal Varices: Bleeding esophageal varices is a condition that may cause melena, hematemesis, or even both simultaneously. Stomach Ulcer: The bleeding is usually slow in this condition which is why it rarely manifests in the form of vomiting. The stored blood mostly leaves the body in the form of black stools.
In these situations, the blood is moving through the colon so rapidly that there is not enough time for the bacteria to turn the blood black. Sometimes, bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract can be too slow to cause either rectal bleeding or melena. In these patients, bleeding is occult (not visible to the naked eye). The blood is found only by testing the stool for blood (fecal occult blood testing) in the laboratory.