I know that is scary when someone found blood in stool. I am 55 years old and I have never experienced something like that until now. Anyway, two days ago, I had stool where I have noticed blood, and my blood was very dark. I know there is possibility to find blood in stool because of hemorrhoids. However, mine blood is very dark, and I am not sure it might be because of hemorrhoids, so I need to hear more about this.
Fresh red blood could be found in stool, and the only thing that he can confuse with fresh blood is a red dietary pigment. The pigment in beets, if eaten in large quantities, can produce a dark red stool. However, this is more common in children than in adults. Good advice is if you are in doubt, you can ask if the blood diffuses into the water of the toilet bowl. Fresh blood diffuses rather rapidly and turns the water a familiar light yellowish pink-red color. Difference is because while beet pigment goes into solution without a change in color. Many people know that black stools can mean blood in the stool, so patient says there is black blood, red blood, or something in between. Blood turns black in the gut lumen because reduced hemoglobin is dark and because bacteria alter the pigments. If your stool is completely black, source is above the cecum, but also it could be mixed black and red. This means the source of bleeding is somewhere between. Stools with very dark blood can also result from the ingestion of iron, bismuth and the excessive intake of spinach and other greens.