Black diarrhea: causes, treatment, symptoms, diet

The composition of feces can tell a lot about human health. At the same time, special attention is paid not only to its smell and consistency, but also to color. If suddenly the stool has become black and liquid, you need to see a doctor. The specialist will help to understand the reasons for such changes, and, if necessary, prescribe a treatment.

Normal stool color in adults

At different people the shade of feces can vary depending on certain factors. This indicator affects the diet for the last few days, the individual characteristics of the body, as well as the presence of bile. A healthy person is considered to be a decorated chair, homogeneous and dense in its consistency. Its color should be as close to yellow-brown as possible. Allowed a slight change towards a darker shade, but not black.

Any deviation from the norm should be alerted. The change in the consistency and color of the excrement usually indicates serious disturbances in the functioning of the body. Diarrhea of black color is an alarming symptom, which can not be ignored. Such a disorder can be caused by both physiological causes and health problems. Let's consider each of the cases in more detail.

Physiological causes

The color of feces is affected by the daily diet of a person. A dark shade of stool can be given to certain foods (beets, blood sausage). However, they do not affect the consistency of the stool, so in this case, it is not necessary to talk about diarrhea. Some coloring products with excessive use of them still contribute to the appearance of diarrhea. A well-known representative of this group is the well-known prune.

Black diarrhea can occur after taking activated charcoal. However, the drug itself does not cause diarrhea. If the disorder already takes place, and the patient decided to take activated charcoal, the chair can change its color to black. This medication is not absorbed in the intestines, but acts as a sorbent. The tablet absorbs toxins and other harmful substances, after which it is excreted from the body.

Black diarrhea, the causes of which are physiological in nature, is not dangerous to the body. This is a temporary phenomenon that passes very quickly. The disorder does not require specific therapy, it is enough just to reconsider your diet. If diarrhea lasts more than three days, it is recommended to consult a doctor and get a checkup.

Diseases accompanied by black diarrhea

Sometimes staining of a liquid stool in black indicates a violation in the work of the digestive tract. This symptom occurs with bleeding in the stomach or esophagus. The duodenum may be involved in the pathological process. Blood mixed with bile. Therefore, the color of the feces changes from brown to dark.

Provoke internal bleeding and, as a consequence, a black fluid stool may the following pathologies:

1. Stomach ulcer. Pathology is characterized by the appearance of black diarrhea, severe pain in the epigastric region, vomiting.
2. Gastritis. There are many varieties of this disease. For example, erosive gastritis often leads to internal bleeding.
3. Stomach cancer. At first, the disease is asymptomatic, and it is detected only in a profile survey. The appearance of a black liquid stool indicates a progression of pathology.
4. Varicose veins of the esophagus. This disorder can lead to feces black, but not always accompanied by a loose stool. The veins of the esophagus are fragile, so they can easily be damaged by food.
5. Polyps. These are benign formations that can be localized in the stomach or esophagus. After their detection, treatment should be started immediately. Otherwise, polyps can be transformed into cancer tumors.

Any of the listed diseases requires competent treatment. Therefore, do not delay the visit to the doctor to prevent the development of complications.

Black diarrhea in pregnancy

During the gestation of the baby the body of a woman undergoes various changes. There is a restructuring of the hormonal background, changing taste preferences and needs of the future mother. Black diarrhea during pregnancy is not a rare occurrence. Gynecologists warn about it in advance.

The reasons for such changes are sufficiently clear. After the conception of a child, a woman starts taking vitamin complexes and various supplements so that the fetus develops correctly. Very often in their composition there is an elevated iron content. This microelement leads to a change in the color of feces to black. Such a symptom indicates that all the vitamins that the future mother receives are fully absorbed. Their excess is similarly removed from the body so as not to harm the growing fetus.

When to see a doctor?

Not always a disorder of the stool proceeds without complications. When there are signs of anxiety, you need to urgently consult a doctor. Among such symptoms are:

• Presence of mucus in stool;
• The number of emptying of the intestine per day exceeds 20 times;
• Increased body temperature;
• Severe abdominal pain;
• Change in human consciousness.

If a black fluid stool is accompanied by one or more symptoms from this list, you need to call a health team. Patients with such disorders are shown hospitalization. Already in the hospital, the doctor will be able to determine the cause of the disorder and prescribe a treatment.

Basic principles of therapy

Black diarrhea in an adult is a symptom of abnormalities in the functioning of the body, and not an independent ailment. After conducting a thorough examination, the doctor will be able to make the correct diagnosis. Treatment of the disorder depends on the detected disease, the nature of its course and the state of the body. The use of antidiarrheal drugs can be limited only if the violation is caused by physiological causes. In all other situations, a qualified approach to solving the problem is required.

For example, for the treatment of ulcers and gastritis, antibiotics and medications are prescribed to reduce the acidity of gastric juice. All drugs are selected individually, and the duration of their administration usually does not exceed 10 days. Also, a special diet is recommended for patients with this diagnosis.

Black diarrhea is often accompanied by bleeding in the digestive tract. The most dangerous complication of pathology is gastric cancer. In detecting tumor formations, surgical intervention is indicated, and then a course of chemotherapy is prescribed. The operation is possible only if the cancer has not metastasized.

If the cause of bleeding is polyps in the stomach, they should also be removed. Surgical intervention is the only way to treat an ailment. After the operation, constant monitoring of the health of the gastroenterologist is required.

Use of medicines

Of course, each of us had to face this violation at least once in our life. In most cases, people do not pay attention to black diarrhea. Their treatment is usually limited to taking antidiarrheal drugs.

The popular drug from this group of drugs is Loperamide. He quickly restores peristalsis, but is dangerous for the development of complications. After its reception, a slight intoxication of the organism is possible due to the penetration of harmful elements into the blood. Therefore, immediately after "Loperamide" you need to take Enterosgel. This sorbent perfectly absorbs toxins and removes them from the body.

If the liquid stool has a darker shade, you should try to analyze your diet in the last few days. From what happens diarrhea, easy to understand. Perhaps certain products or medications have affected the disorder. Therefore, for a while should be abandoned. Most likely, in a few days the condition will be normalized.

Therapeutic diet

During diarrhea, doctors, in addition to drug therapy, prescribe a special diet. It implies the exclusion of fatty and spicy dishes, canned food and marinades from the diet. Also under the ban get carbonated water and butter products.

All food should be as easy and simple as possible. Do not overload the intestines, which requires a long rest. With diarrhea, you can eat boiled chicken or rabbit meat, rice porridge without milk. Particular attention is recommended to give to the drinking regimen, because with diarrhea the body loses a large amount of water.

The help of traditional medicine

How can I get rid of diarrhea at home? Opponents of medications prefer to treat stool disorder with folk remedies. Among them, the most popular recipe with rice decoction. It requires half a cup of cereals. Rice should be boiled in a liter of water, allow to cool and drain. Use the medication is recommended instead of eating five times a day.

A decoction of blueberry fruit also helps with diarrhea. At home, it can not be cooked. It will take a tablespoon of dry berries to pour 500 ml of water, boil and leave to languish on low heat. After half the volume of the liquid has disappeared, the broth can be used for medicinal purposes. Take it is recommended once a day for a tablespoon.

Preventive measures

To prevent diarrhea and its complications, doctors recommend following simple rules:

• Wash hands thoroughly before eating;
• Do not use expired eggs, milk, etc .;
• Wash fruit and vegetables under running water.

Every conscious person should know what diarrhea is from, and try to avoid factors that provoke frustration. In addition, it is necessary to periodically undergo a survey, and if you find out the diseases of the digestive tract immediately proceed to treatment.