4. Tarry, Black Stool (Melena)
Not all blood in the stool is red. Bleeding can also be signaled by foul smelling, tarry, black stools, which means that there could be bleeding higher up in the intestinal tract or in the ascending colon. If you haven’t consumed dark colored food such as red wine, squid ink, or blood, all of which can stain stools and give it the same appearance of melena; or if you don’t have a history of stomach ulcers, black stools might be a sign of underlying colon cancer. Consult your doctor immediately if you think there shouldn’t be a reason for you to have dark stools in order to get to the bottom of what’s causing it.
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