Black stool after miscarriage

Normally, our stool should be slightly yellow. Occasionally, it may turn black due to diet. In fact, the black stool is not necessarily caused by disease. It is most likely because you have eaten some black food recently, such as sheep's blood, pig's blood, fruit instant noodles with mulberries and grapes, etc., which all contain melanin. So why do large areas of black appear after an abortion?

True or false black stool

The color of normal human stool is generally yellow, light brown or dark brown. Regardless of whether the stool is thick or thin, if it is black, ranging from light ink black to tar brown black, it is called black stool. Generally speaking, the appearance of black stools indicates bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, which we call "true black stools."

However, some black stools are not caused by bleeding, such as after taking iron supplements for blood tonic, bismuth supplements and activated carbon powder (tablets) for treating stomach problems, certain Chinese medicines, and eating animal blood such as sheep blood and pig blood. These are not black stools caused by bleeding, we call them "false black stools".

How to tell

After upper gastrointestinal bleeding, the blood that flows out breaks down iron in the esophagus, stomach and intestines, and combines with sulfide produced by bacteria to form iron sulfide, which appears black. This is why black stools may occur after taking animal blood or iron supplements. So we have to distinguish carefully.

True black stool: Especially when the amount is large, it is bright black and most like asphalt used for paving roads. Most patients have a history of illness, such as stomach pain, ulcer disease, cirrhosis, or have taken certain anti-inflammatory drugs that damage the stomach. Patients may experience symptoms such as palpitations, rapid heart rate, fainting, and pale complexion (which only occur in severe cases). However, a very small number of patients have no symptoms, such as Li Ji who fell ill as mentioned above.

Pseudo-melena: The black color is mostly dark gray or dark black, and rarely shiny unless you have eaten animal blood, or have a history of taking medication or eating blood products. The duration of black stools is usually 3 to 4 days, without any other symptoms.

What does really black stool mean?

First, it means there is bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The so-called upper gastrointestinal tract refers to the section from the esophagus to the duodenum (including the stomach). If lower gastrointestinal bleeding stays in the intestines for a long time, black stools may also occur, but this situation is extremely rare.

Second, it means that the amount of bleeding is at least 60 ml, which is no longer hidden but called overt bleeding. As for the exact amount of bleeding, it is not easy to tell, especially when black stools have not yet been discharged, even doctors are a little confused.

Generally speaking, the more and thinner the black stools are, and the more frequent they occur, the more bleeding you will experience. In addition, if you experience dizziness, fainting, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, pale complexion, cold hands and feet, and little or no urine, it means that you are bleeding heavily. Of course, anemia will occur if there is excessive bleeding, but anemia is usually not discovered until later.

In terms of diseases, ulcer disease is the most common cause of black stools, followed by esophageal varicose bleeding due to liver cirrhosis, and then various gastric mucosal lesions and bleeding, including various types of gastritis. In high-incidence areas or among the elderly, black stools caused by gastric cancer are not uncommon. Therefore, if black stools appear, you should find out the cause and never take it lightly!

When bleeding occurs in the upper gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, upper jejunum, pancreas, and bile duct, the iron in hemoglobin in red blood cells combines with sulfide to form iron sulfide under the action of intestinal bacteria, making the stool appear black.

This kind of black stool is black and shiny, and its appearance is like tar, so it is also called tarry stool. In addition to ulcer disease, acute and chronic gastritis, cirrhosis with ruptured esophageal or gastric varicose veins, gastric cancer, and stress ulcers are also common causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Therefore, when black stools occur, in addition to considering whether it is bleeding from ulcer disease, you should also be alert to the presence of these diseases.