Question
For the past ten days, my stool has been black and mucous. Is this a normal phenomenon? What was the past treatment and its effectiveness? What assistance do I hope to receive?
Answer
- Gastrointestinal Diseases: This is the most common cause of black stool.
- Food or Drug Effects: Certain foods and medications can also change the color of stool, sometimes confusingly similar to symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases. For example, eating a large amount of watermelons and tomatoes in summer may cause stool to appear red, and iron supplements taken by anemia children may turn the stool white. Consuming animal blood, liver, or excessive meat, or taking iron and charcoal preparations may also cause stool to become white.
- Gastric Bleeding or Perforation: Gastric bleeding, gastric perforation, or other intestinal injuries can also lead to black stool, with the color of the stool related to the location of the injury.