Which black diarrhea needs treatment?

Diarrhea, regardless of color, can have many different causes and not all of them need treatment. In principle, diarrhea should be treated if it lasts longer than three days or if it causes serious additional symptoms due to the loss of fluid and electrolytes. Such symptoms may include dizziness and circulation problems. A black coloration of the stool or diarrhea does not necessarily require treatment if this is only occasionally noticeable. If, however, the black coloration remains visible for several weeks, further diagnostics and appropriate therapy should be initiated in any case.

Can this be an indication of cancer?

Black diarrhea can be caused by the admixture of blood in the stool. The blood may, for example, indicate a bleeding of the mucous membrane in the gastrointestinal tract. Such a bleeding can certainly be caused by a tumor.

Different types of tumor growth can be distinguished and not all types cause bleeding. However, there are tumors that cause defects in the mucous membrane of the intestine, from which blood can then leak. In any case, in case of recurrent black diarrhea, further diagnostics should be carried out to exclude a tumor.

Duration and prognosis

The duration and prognosis of black diarrhea depends on the cause. Complaints caused by food or dietary supplements will subside after two to three days after the excess substance has been excreted by the body. Complaints that last for weeks or months, on the other hand, indicate a source of bleeding in the body.

These can be small wounds in the upper gastrointestinal tract, in women endometriosis is also a possible cause. Endometriosis is the term used to describe scattered tissue of the endometrium, which can be located in the intestine, for example, and which builds up and breaks down after the hormone cycle. The duration of black diarrhea also gives the person affected an indication of how much the symptoms require treatment. As a rule of thumb, a doctor should be consulted if the symptoms persist for more than one to two weeks.