Cancer Colon Cancer Symptoms What Does a Bloody Stool Mean? Color gives you clues as to cause and origin By Suzanne Dixon, MPH, RD twitter linkedin Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RDN, is an award-winning registered dietitian and epidemiologist, as well as an expert in cancer prevention and management. Learn about our editorial process Suzanne Dixon, MPH, RD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Doru Paul, MD on November 01, 2019 Doru Paul, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hematology. Learn about our Medical Review Board Doru Paul, MD on November 01, 2019 Print If you see blood in stools, your first instinct may be to ignore it and wait for it to go away. This is particularly true if the bleeding seems incidental. And, while you may be right and everything is perfectly fine, it is important that you take the time to look and assess what is actually happening. The very appearance of a stool can give you pretty strong clues as to the cause and origin of any bleeding. Sebastian Kopp / EyeEm / Getty Images What Stool Color Tells Us Bloody stools often are a sign of a problem in the digestive tract, originating at any point on the journey from the mouth to the rectum. Coloration plays a huge part in pinpointing where the problem is and can generally be interpreted as follows: Darker stools suggest that the bleeding has taken place higher up in the gastrointestinal tract. As the stool slowly moves through the small and large intestines, any collected blood has time to coagulate and darken. Melena is the term used to describe black, tarry stools.Brighter, redder stools suggest that the bleeding is at the lower end of the gastrointestinal tract as the blood is fresh. Hematochezia is the term that refers to the passage of blood by the anus whether directly or on stools.Sudden, profound changes in stool color that return quickly to normal suggest that the problem may be something you ate. For example, eating licorice, iron supplements, Pepto-Bismol, or blackberries can cause purple-ish to black-colored stools while eating beets can definitely turn your stools a striking red.While pale, chalky stools don't suggest bleeding, they are a definite sign of a liver problem such as hepatitis. The appearance of these stools is often accompanied by a yellowing of the skin or eyes (called jaundice). Causes of Bloody Stools If food and medication have been ruled out as causes of stool discoloration, you can start to consider other sources and causes of bleeding. If stools are black and tarry, causes may include: Peptic ulcerTraumaA tear in the esophagus caused by violent vomitingBleeding caused by inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis)Restriction of blood flow to the large intestines caused by injury or inflammation (ischemic colitis)Infections that cause severe esophageal ulcerations (usually in immune-compromised persons)Cirrhosis which causes a blockage of blood flow to the liver and the widening of veins in the esophagus or stomach (called varices)Stomach cancerEsophageal cancer If stools are maroon to bright red, causes may include: Diverticulosis (development of abnormal pouches in the colon)HemorrhoidsColon cancerNon-cancerous growths such as polypsBacterial infections (bacterial enterocolitis) such as salmonella and E. coliInflammatory bowel diseases including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitisRecent trauma including those caused by medical procedures such as colonoscopyRestriction of blood flow to the small intestines caused by injury (mesenteric ischemia)Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen See your doctor if you notice blood in your stool or experience changes in the color, consistency, or frequency of your bowel movements. This is especially true if movements are accompanied by abdominal pain, fever, profuse anal bleeding, persistent pencil-thin stools, or the vomiting of blood or a coffee ground-like grit (hematemesis). Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Limiting processed foods and red meats can help ward off cancer risk. These recipes focus on antioxidant-rich foods to better protect you and your loved ones. Sign up and get your guide! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. U.S. National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus. Black or tarry stools. Updated April 12, 2018. U.S. National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus. Stools - pale or clay-colored. Updated June 22, 2018. Takalkar U, Dodmani K, Kulkarni U, Kumar B. Colonoscopy as a high yielding diagnostic tool for per rectumbleeding–an overview. Int J Cur Res Rev. 2018 ;10(6):14. doi:10.7324/IJCRR.2018.1064