Find possible causes of symptoms in children and adults.
Causes of dark red stool.
And if it s bright red the blood likely comes from the.
Check food labels because a food might not appear red but may still have red food coloring in it.
However repeated reddish stool and diarrhea especially when there is pain is very likely to be due to blood in.
Find possible causes of blood in stool based on specific factors.
Red stool causes that are not blood.
Bleeding that happens higher up in the digestive tract may make stool appear black and tarry.
This might cause darker brown stools due to the iron content of meat.
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Blood is not the only cause of a red discoloration of the stool.
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Check one or more factors on this page that apply to your symptom.
Food may be moving through the large intestine too quickly such as due to diarrhea.
Because often the cause cannot be determined it is wise to seek medical evaluation.
As a result bile doesn t have time to break down completely.
It s important to keep in mind however that red or black in the stool could be due to bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract stomach small intestine or large intestine.
The cause of red stools or black stools could be nothing to worry about such as those that are caused by food coloring.
Other causes of red or reddish poop.
In fact if the stool is red for just one or two bowel movements and it does not occur again then it could be due to other causes apart from blood.
If your stool is bright red or black which may indicate the presence of blood seek prompt medical attention.
Possible causes of blood in stool include.
If you don t think your diet is the cause the red you see may be blood.
Red diarrhea might occur if the food that a person eats causes food poisoning or irritates the stomach.
Eating more red meat.
Causes of red stool.
Stool quality what it may mean possible dietary causes.
Blackberries blueberries or black licorice might cause the stool to look almost black due to the staining pigments of these foods.
Several different types of food with natural or artificial coloring may cause red in the stool which looks like blood but it isn t.
What causes dark brown stool or diarrhea.
Eating dark blue or black colored foods.
Foods that are naturally red or contain red food coloring can turn the stool red.