Black stool or melena causes include: 1 Peptic ulcer that includes stomach ulcer, duodenal ulcer. 2 Stomach cancer. 3 Patient on anti-coagulant drugs such as Warfarin may cause melena. 4 Gastritis (inflammation of stomach) and esophageal varices.5 Hemorrhagic blood disease such as purpura.
Melena, in dogs, is the presence of digested blood in the feces and makes the stools appear black and tarry. Melena is different from fresh blood in the stool (hematochezia). Melena may represent a severe, life-threatening illness, and should not be ignored. It must especially be addressed if it persists or worsens.  The causes of this kind of Melena are the same as when the stool is tarry. In addition, this type of Melena is also associated with anemia which is causes due to the loss of iron along with the blood.black, tarry, sticky and foul-smeling stool that is usually caused by gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Melena can also occur due to bleeding ulcers. Ulcers are sores that develop in the lining of the stomach due to infection by Helicobacter pylori bacterium. Drug overdose can cause tarry stool as well. Prolonged use of pain relievers can irritate the stomach and cause stomach ulcers and melena. What Causes Melena Stools. There are a number of causes of Melena stools, but the main thing is that it is caused by hemorrhage somewhere in the GI tract, usually in the upper portion. The possible causes of Melena include: 1  Peptic Ulcer Disease. 2  Gastrointestinal Cancer. Medical Definition of MELENA. : the passage of dark tarry stools containing decomposing blood that is usually an indication of bleeding in the upper part of the alimentary canal and especially the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum—compare hematochezia. — me·le·nic \mə-ˈlē-nik\ adjective.  Overview of Blood in Stool in Cats. Melena is the presence of digested blood in the feces and makes the stools appear black and tarry. Melena is different from fresh blood in the stool (hematochezia). In cats, melena may represent a severe, life-threatening illness, and should not be ignored. It must especially be addressed if it persists or worsens.  Melena: Introduction. Melena: Black, tarry stools with an offensive odour caused by an upper gastrointestinal bleed. See detailed information below for a list of 103 causes of Melena, Symptom Checker, including diseases and drug side effect causes. » Review Causes of Melena: Causes | Symptom Checker ». Its primary cause is bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. 1  Melena is black and tarry. 2  It may also have a foul smell. 3  The color is caused by the oxidation of the iron in the blood as it goes through the digestive system. 4  The black color is usually an indication of a bleed in the UPPER GI TRACT. There are a number of causes of Melena stools, but the main thing is that it is caused by hemorrhage somewhere in the GI tract, usually in the upper portion. The possible causes of Melena include: 1  Peptic Ulcer Disease. 2  Gastrointestinal Cancer. Blood in the stool can be bright red, maroon in color, black and tarry, or occult (not visible to the naked eye). Causes of blood in the stool range from harmless, annoying conditions of the gastrointestinal tract such as hemorrhoids to serious conditions such as cancer. 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. Causes Of Melena. Black stool or melena causes include: 1  Peptic ulcer that includes stomach ulcer, duodenal ulcer. 2  Stomach cancer. 3  Patient on anti-coagulant drugs such as Warfarin may cause melena. 4  Gastritis (inflammation of stomach) and esophageal varices. 5  Hemorrhagic blood disease such as purpura. Symptoms of melena or blood in stool are: 1  Patient complains change of stool color to his medical attendant; it is dark black like coal tar. 2  Anemia is most important sign noted in patients with melena. 3  Weakness
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what causes melena stools