Health & Care Information Spotting blood in stool is one sign individuals are concerned of as they begin believing that they have a genuine illness. It is not typical to have blood in stool and it unquestionably needs one to look for restorative consideration. But presence of blood in stool may appear as black stool or red stool. This is generally depending on which part of the gut is bleeding.
As people see dark or black spots in stool, they may possibly puzzle them with black stools. Different explanations to the cause of black specks or dots in the stool have been given. It may not essentially be linked to bleeding in GI tract but the people who experience such signs needs to consider seeking medical help.
Stool commence out with green color and turns bright yellow when moving through digestive tract. It turns brown when it combines with bile and bacteria. A normal person had a brown stool but when the color is green, black, or yellow, it may point to a trouble. The color of stool may differ considerably and could too be a hint for different diseases and conditions disturbing the gut.
Below are some possible causes of Black Specks, Spot or Dots in Stool along with symptoms and treatment.
Causes of Black Specks, Spot or Dots in Stool
Cause of Black dots in stool may be:
Medications
Medicines containing lead or bismuth, iron supplements, Pepto-Bismol and other drugs like vanadium used by body builders, and NSAIDs, naproxen, ibuprofen, or aspirin which trigger stomach bleeding may cause black specks in stool on a temporary basis.
Diet
Consuming certain foods can temporarily cause black dots in stool. It can happen due to eating blueberries, bananas, black pepper, black pudding or foods with excessive animal blood, paprika, and undercooked red meat, as well as eating beet or other iron-rich foods. Eating excessive amounts of fiber-abundant foods can cause the stool to quickly pass across the digestive tract and cause loose stools with darkened undigested food particles.
Digestive tract bleeding
Bleeding in the stomach, upper small intestine, duodenum, or other sections of the digestive tract can cause stool with black dots along with a foul smell. This is because of hemoglobin oxidation and other chemical actions in the tract before it is removed from the body. Hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, gastritis, liver cirrhosis, severe celiac disease, tuberculosis, gut hemophilia etc. are some of the general causes of such bleeding and thus black dots in stool.
Parasitic infections in the intestine
Intake of foods contaminated with parasites like Entamoeba histolytica or Giardia lamblia can cause intestinal situation like giardiasis and amoebiasis, respectively. Along with black dots in stool, patients may also experience symptoms like fever, nausea etc.
Cancer
Tumors present in the intestine sometimes bleed, which results in black spots in stool. Such tumors can also cause tract blockages which in turn may prevent bilirubin from acting on feces, thus resulting in clay-like grey bowel movements.
Inflammatory gastrointestinal conditions
Some conditions which may cause black dots in stool are:
Ulcerative colitis marked by inflammation of the colon wall or lining.
Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome or IBS is marked by inflammation of the intestinal wall. In addition to excretion of stools with black dots, patients may also experience symptoms such as severe abdominal cramping, intestinal wall irritation, and nausea.
Ulcers
It is an open lesion that forms within the digestive tract and may cause internal bleeding, which ultimately lead to elimination of such blood along with stool as black dots.
Other causes
Wounds in the digestive tract resulting from direct trauma or injuries can also cause bleeding and black dots in stool.
Symptoms associated with Black Specks, Spot or Dots in Stool
Specks are not normally a cause of concern except if it had been happening for quite some time already along with other symptoms such as stomach pains.
A physician should be consulted without delay if any of these symptoms occur:
- Diarrhea
- Bad faulty smell
- Pain
- Cramps
- Loss of appetite
Treatment of Black Specks, Spot or Dots in Stool
Temporary cases of black dots in stool do not require medical attention. However, prolonged instances need to be checked by a doctor to rule out any possibility of bleeding occurring within the upper gastrointestinal part. If you have other symptoms accompanying the black specks in stool such a pain in abdomen, cramps, change in bowel movement, diarrhea, or lack of appetite.
Tests can be conducted to help determine the cause of such specks. If the cause is from eating certain foods, it would easily be detected when one avoids the food or fruits. But when one eliminates the food item and still the specks continue to appear in stool, it should be treated as something that needs medical attention.
So the treatment is dependent on diagnosis of the underlying condition that is causing black dots in stool.
